The Long Run
by Hack.Drawer
Summary: When a pushy bandit convinced Law to take him home, he wasn't prepared to have his past catch up so soon - he had expected to live a quiet life in the desert, anonymous and alone, away from danger; not forced into adventure with a group of bandits that think they can take over the West on a sightseeing tour to the ocean. *AU* Rated for language, mature themes, fights galore COMPLTE
1. Chapter 1

**Heavily OCC, non-canon, adventure, Western**

 **A/N:** During my daily OP scroll for pictures on Insta, I found this picture; it's a Western-style One Piece pic – it's 'realistic', and I don't know if it's an actual story but it's freaking _beautiful_. I made it my phone wallpaper. Then it kept haunting me so I wrote this to get it out of the way! IDK what to do with it, I just needed it _out of my head_. Does anybody know if that pic is a story of some kind? Pls. I need it.

 **Part One**

The desert didn't cool down too much at night. It was often just as painful as it was during the day, minus the sun. The rugged dirt roads that came in from the east brought a busy line of travelers throughout the week, using the town as a stop before easing on for a brutal ride towards the west. There was talks of gold in the hills just beyond the horizon, but there hadn't been actual truth to the story.

Coyotes yipped around the boundaries, with larger wolves calling out from the mountainous hills that loomed over from the north. The ground was speckled with desert brush, and large herds of steer were coaxed through the area with careful mind to the occasional sinkholes that rain water caused near the hills. While the town was often active with rowdy cowboys, overeager bandits chasing after bank riders and the occasional criminal hanging, the surrounding boundaries were peaceful, quiet, and uneventful.

That was what he preferred. The solitude of the desert gave him time to his own thoughts, and didn't mind what he did whenever he decided to do it. He'd come in some time ago – maybe six months – and put a stake on some land just beyond the hills. He intended on mining for gold later on, but found himself straying away from that path and just minding his own business because the nightmares kept him from functioning properly.

Occasionally he rode into town for supplies, mail and a drink. The bar he liked to stop by was located near the edge, often ignored because the liquor was weak, the food was bad, but the people that stopped there had nice tales to tell. He suspected it was used as a cover for Something Else, but he didn't care to find out what, when or who. He just wanted to sit and enjoy his drink and listen for the sound of his name leaving any traveler's lips.

Coming in from the East on a bad note had left him feeling slightly paranoid – he'd left behind a corrupt city with ruthless owners and his separation from them hadn't been on the best of terms.

The night was young, and the dusty streets were full of revelers. Drunken cowboys, rambunctious women and animals waiting for their riders lined the wooden sidewalks. There was a fight at the corner of the street that had Sheriff Smoker walking over to investigate, his deputy trailing behind him with a terrified expression.

His yellow horse walked diligently towards the bar and settled calmly at the railing. The bar was lively, tonight, with the piano going in the corner, some cowboys getting rowdy at the gambling tables. The smell of smoke was extremely pungent, and the two bartenders were scrambling from wall to counter to serve drinks.

It was unusual for such activity, and he hesitated on whether or not to continue in. But the bartender who always wore a very low hanging hat that obscured his eyes, Shachi, gestured at him from the empty end of the bar with his usual drink in hand, and so he felt he had no choice but to go enjoy it. He set down his long rifle next to him, the unusual gun resting comfortably from floor to counter – nearly his height.

"It's terribly busy because Drum Town was burnt down, last night," Shachi explained hastily. "By thieves. Wiped their bank clean and set fire to everything else."

It made him only slightly uncomfortable. Banks were the East's favorite tool of choice when it came to controlling territories. But Trafalgar D. Water Law relaxed at the counter and watched the mirrors behind the bar, seeing men sing along to the piano with grand action, and four men at a poker table accuse each other of cheating, guns being drawn.

Occasionally he'd meet his own eyes in the reflection – wide brim hat pulled down low, with a hatband of spotted animal fur covered thick black hair that was left untended to. He wore two pairs of hoops in each ear – striking much conversation with many macho men that demanded to know _why_. He was a tall man, standing over most of the men in town, and while wiry, he wore multiple layers of clothes that covered nearly every inch of him, including half-fingered gloves. The hooded coat he wore needed replacing and his boots were scruffed, but he considered himself an invisible guy, fitting in with the rest of them out there. The only item on him that struck up interest was the long rifle he carried – it was nearly his height, with a thin barrel and a thick stock. Many of the guys had scoffed at the seemingly useless weapon – it required too much time to balance and strength needed to hold when fired, but when it did, Law didn't have any complaints. Many men that he'd shot down with it had no complaints, either.

He sipped at his whiskey, enjoying the burn as it went down. Shachi hastily waved at one of the owners peeking in from the staircase, indicating more alcohol.

Gunfire erupted, bullets splintering the wall around him, but he knew he wasn't in any danger. Men screamed and hollered, throwing chairs, and soon most of them were fighting over dropped money, drinks and whatever else had displeased them. The piano continued, and he glanced over his shoulder in that direction.

He stilled, feeling caught. Sitting at the edge of the piano was a traveler that definitely wasn't from the area. Both him and the singer, a tall, skinny older man with a top hat and absurdly loud clothes weren't dressed for the desert heat. They looked far too comfortable enjoying themselves as men fought around them, shooting at the ceiling and at each other.

But what made Law stare was the beauty of the man. He wore a white long sleeve shirt left unbuttoned, underneath a black vest fitted tightly over his torso. He had bright, shiny blond hair that hung over one side of his face, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he sang along with the piano player. When he kicked out with one leg to keep a pair of men from crashing into them, Law saw that he wore extremely fitted pants with black boots that didn't fit the desert environment.

He was a _gorgeous_ man, and Law couldn't help but notice that.

It annoyed him, turning back around and nursing his drink as the fights simmered down, and games continued. The singer changed the song to a corny jingle that had most of the guys at the counter booing.

Shachi returned with a fresh bottle and refilled his glass. "I don't know where most of them came from," he said with a shrug. "But Sheriff's been busy. It'll clear out by tomorrow. Mail was delayed, I heard, too."

He ducked suddenly, glass crashing into the bar as an upset gambler threw a tantrum. Law turned his head to glare back at the man that missed him, and the cowboy sat hastily, burying his face in his cards while the rest of the table hunched over.

Shachi straightened up. "Well, since you asked, I've heard nothing about them East cities, either. Not much is said about them, and those kinds of travelers don't stay long."

"I didn't ask."

"You did a long time ago. I remember," Shachi said, tapping his forehead. "I've listened ever since."

Law stared at his drink for several moments. "Okay. Thanks."

Shachi wiped down the bar, making a face, then hastily set down an extra glass, and poured a new drink in, leaving it there. Law was about to complain when the man from the piano sidled up next to him, taking the drink with tobacco stained fingers and a heady smell from his cigarette.

"Hi," he said with a beautifully slow smile and an irritatingly animated expression. "Everyone's having fun out there, and you're the only one in the corner, keeping to himself. I know everyone else's name, here. What's yours?"

Shachi shrugged at Law and walked off to serve the others.

It was hard to concentrate when he saw that the man was even more attractive up close. That blond hair hung to the side of his face, obscuring one eye briefly, seemingly fluttering with every movement of his head. He had a finely chiseled in the jawline. He still looked young – but there were lines around his eyes that suggested an active life outside and with the way he moved about, he wasn't one to sit still.

But he smelled so nice – nothing like the sweaty scent of body odor and dirt, plus animal that every one else smelled like. He had friendly blue-grey eyes that gleamed with sultry knowledge and mirth and Law was drawn in like a moth to light.

It was exactly all those things he'd noticed before that made him intensely wary. Because assassins were anybody, and they definitely weren't the dusty type. It made him sneer at the thought of the Donquixote family sending one of their well-groomed killers unprepared for the West.

He slipped his hand into his jacket, just in case, to feel the handle of his knife there. Then he noticed that even though the man wore holsters strapped to his thighs, he lacked a gun in either of them. So he had to give him a look of question.

"What's up with those?" he asked. "There's nothing in it."

"Well, nobody's complained before," was the airy answer. "Are you looking at them, or are you looking at something else?"

"My name's none of your business," Law then added with a scowl at the peculiar line.

"All right, None Of Your Business, if that's how you want to be, then I'll let you be. My name's Sanji Blackleg, by the way. You want to know why they call me Blackleg?"

"No."

"You're supposed to say, 'Why?' I can say it for you, if you'd like."

"Don't care. This overall presentation you have going on is making me uncomfortable."

"Why? Can't look away? Or you want to look even longer?" Sanji asked, tipping his head to the bar so that Law was forced to keep him in sight. "I saw you looking, earlier. Thought I'd drop on by so you can look up close."

"Comments like that get men killed, you know."

"Well, obviously, I ain't killed yet! Hey, you, I ran out of matches!" Sanji then said, gesturing at Shachi while Law scrunched his face at the gall of this man's cheeky conversation.

"Please don't harass our regulars," Shachi said, tossing him some matches.

"You actually _live_ out here?" Sanji asked Law with a laugh, pulling out a tin from one of the holsters. He plucked out another cigarette, lit it with another laugh, then tossed the used match into his drink. Law frowned at him, shoving the glass aside with irritation. "Who did you kill back East to actually come live out here? There's _nothing_ out here."

"It's _nice_ ," Law said tightly.

"It's a nice cemetery for all you brush people! Look, I'm here for awhile," Sanji then said, leaning against the counter. "Let's say we get to know each other a little better, how about that?"

"I don't want to talk to you, anymore."

"I don't want to talk to you, either, but I'd like to get to _know_ you. We're not going to see each other again, right? Who's to know that you and me were talking, hmm? Why don't you show me how that there rifle works – prove to me you're not overcompensating for something else," Sanji added with a grin, reaching out to curl his fingers over Kikoku's barrel. Then proceeded to jerk it lightly, maintaining eye contact with him the entire time.

Law was inwardly horrified at how aggressive the man was. How open. For the moment, he didn't say anything, or even react.

But Sanji flipped his hair out of his face and then walked away, encouraging people to sing along with the newest song that was being played. He stole off with someone's glass and drank it all while the man protested. The singer played with one hand, and then used the other to shoot the man dead when he rose to charge after Sanji. The blond only laughed and rejoined him at the piano, both of them singing in tandem while others joined in.

 _Who the hell are these people_? Law wondered with bewilderment. He had the urge to wipe off Kikoku's barrel with one of Shachi's cleaning rags but Shachi was busy serving others down the other end of the bar.

He paid for his drinks, grabbed his rifle, and proceeded to walk out. He was untying his horse when Sanji reappeared next to him, leaning against the animal with a casual air.

"I have a room upstairs," he said, still smiling. "Unless you have a wife at home. Maybe you should bring her, too. I do both."

"Out of the way, weirdo."

"It's only weird if people catch you doing it," Sanji said. "Look, I'll make a deal -you don't have to pay me. I won't even ask. I won't even steal anything after you wake up. Pinkie promise. When was the last time you had action, anyway?"

"You're an odd one, and get off my horse."

"If you were so bothered with it, you would've shot me dead a long time ago. But you like it. And you're considering it, and I say go for it. Live a little."

"I live here."

"I'll make you feel right at home," Sanji promised him, reaching out to smooth the wrinkles of his jacket, to pat the brim of his hat.

"No," Law repeated, "now move."

"Did I mention how much I adore taller men? Afterward, when I'm laying there all proud of myself for rocking his world and having him call my name instead of his wife's, I like that thing they do where they hold me close. Kind of a snuggle thing. Treat me gentle and nice and tell me pretty things that all the good girls like to hear. I like that. And I peg you for that type of man."

Law stared at him for several seconds. He liked it too. But it was just too strange to be approached so boldly and propositioned so easily and he was wary of it.

Sanji frowned at the feel of his knife pressed up against his belt line. He looked down at the thin sharp blade that was barely visible at the angle Law held it. He pulled away. "Fine. You're missing out, though. I don't usually do it for free."

"I love me a sale," Law muttered, climbing atop of his horse as Sanji finally moved. Sanji shifted across the porch, and Law couldn't help but notice just how tight those damn pants were. It was a mystery as to how he could move in them.

Sanji caught the reins before they could leave, looking up at him with a grin. That gap that displayed his chest showed off too much skin. How a man like him could walk around like that, unbothered by the opinions and minds around him was unusual.

"I'll make you breakfast. Even if people complain about the way I look, they've never complained about the way I cook."

"My stuff is just fine."

Sanji let the reins go and gave him a light wave. Law coaxed the horse forward, but he couldn't help but look back over his shoulder to see if he'd catch the other man walking away. But Sanji stood there with a knowing smile and Law decided his night was over.

The next morning, he waited for the grocer to finish counting up the credits owed for his canned goods when the doors opened and closed grandly. The grocer looked up with a tentative smile, then left hastily without saying another word. Law frowned at this, watching him walk briskly to the back and shut the heavy door, lock sliding into place.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he mumbled, looking down at the goods he'd intended on paying for.

Then he froze because there was another body too close to him, and he reacted with a jerk back, watching as Sanji examined his groceries.

"This is single man portioning," he said with a 'tsk'. "A can a day, at least? With nothing to treat the bland taste?"

The other man was the piano player, and he had busy hands in the hard candy section, mumbling to himself. His tall, skinny frame was outfitted in garish material and a silk shirt, with his hair braided thickly behind him. He moved with such fluid and silent action that Law's instincts made him keep them in sight.

"I could've made you something grander," Sanji told Law with a frown. "And salt pork? Not good for the pores. Look at this, this is terrible. Brook, tell him he's terrible."

"You're a terrible man, stranger," Brook said with a vague wave in their direction.

"But it works for me," Sanji decided, setting the packages aside and sitting on the counter with a smooth hop. He leaned forward on one knee, and Law couldn't help but notice a lot of him. The way his hair fell over one eye, the way those lips curled into a knowing smile, the way his shirt revealed a surprisingly muscled chest and overly strong abs. Muscles that would make any man weak in the knee.

But Law held himself sternly and kept his distance.

"If you're eating like shit, it means you're single as shit."

"As I told you before, not interested."

"Keep lying to yourself. You can't keep your eyes off me."

"You're sitting right in front of me, obviously."

"Tell me I'm pretty and I'll move," Sanji then said with a wide grin.

Law refused to say such things out loud, especially when Brook walked by, humming, his arms full of rock candy. He walked right out of the store, which was startling because the man had taken without paying.

He looked for the grocer, certain that this was wrong, but there wasn't anymore movement from the back. He looked back at Sanji with a suspicious expression. "Who are you people?"

"It's just me and Brook, right now. Well, technically there was supposed to be three of us. But certain people will get lost walking a straight line," Sanji mentioned with a scowl.

"Were you guys behind Drum Town?"

"Are you working for Smoker? That ghastly beast of a man. Your town's going to burn with that sort of attitude. But, no, we weren't. That wasn't us," he added calmly, reaching up to fiddle with Law's jacket again, then reaching up to touch his earrings. "I'm going to be in town for another night. And I'm a lonely, lonely man."

Law pulled his head back to avoid being touched. "Sucks for you."

"There's that offer. I've been told I'm very good at it."

"We all have talents we're proud of. But something like that shouldn't be one of them," Law said, reaching around him to snatch the credits the grocer had been adding up. "Move."

"I like when men play hard to get. Makes it even funner when I finally prove to them what they've been missing out on."

"'Funner' isn't even a word." Law tossed down some cash and grabbed his things, Sanji sliding off the counter to walk with him. He held the door open for Law, who stared at him with irritation before passing through. Shoving his things into his bag, Law looked out at the street, noticing that some cowboys were herding steer through town, again. Brook was sitting nearby, sharing his candy with some kids.

"So, I'll see you tonight?" Sanji asked him. "Same place? Same spot? I asked the bartender about you. He had some stories to tell. You and I have a lot in common, you know. If that makes things any easier."

"Not at all," Law muttered, riding away.

"Will you be there?" Sanji called after him. "At least let me know so I can dress appropriately!"

Law's answer was to flip him off.

But he thought about it. He had most of the day to thing about it. He sat on the porch of his home and stared out at the sun as it began setting in the mountains, the sky turning various colors, and he thought about how lithe the man was. How perfectly round, high and tight his ass sat. He thought about that perfect mouth of his, and the way he flipped his hair out of his face to talk.

The coyotes called out around his area, their lonely cries echoing off the hills, and Law felt annoyed with himself as he flicked the cigarette away.

Later on, he did find himself in the same spot he was last night, and Shachi told him that the mail had made it to town. Along with more people, with news that another town had gone up in flames.

"You can still see the smoke!" Shachi exclaimed over the racket. In the mirror behind the bar, Law could see Sanji singing along with Brook, both of them drinking from a bottle of their own, but there was another person sitting with them. A surly faced man with a black hat and low brim, a black bandanna covering most of his hair, and seated catty corner from them with a few bottles on the table. The area in that section was empty save for them, and Sanji would alternate sitting with the pianist to bugging the man trying to sleep in his chair. Law watched Sanji force expressions onto the other man's face, physically pushing him into a tense conversation before the other man punched and kicked at him, forcing Sanji to dart out of his reach with a playful laugh.

Law's instincts were ringing. The man in the corner was danger, and he made a lot of the gamblers uncomfortable. He didn't know of many men that presented such an aura just by looking sleepy, but he could feel it from where he was sitting.

He sipped at his drink and wondered why his loneliness made such odd decisions for him. Sanji was there moments later, leaning against the counter with that same expectant look to his face and Law knew it was now or never. Sanji told him the room number and left with a happy 'peace' sign to Brook, who played a cringe-worthy jingle that made everyone boo him. The man in the corner snored loudly.

Nearly an hour later, Sanji was proving his claim about his talents right – Law honestly felt like losing his mind. Sanji was on his knees in front of him, practically sucking the life right out of him, and wasn't shy about the entire thing. He had a dirty mouth and he knew another language and by the time Law came into his mouth, Law had pretty much forgotten his own name.

Sanji wiped his mouth with a victorious purr, and climbed atop of Law, kissing every exposed inch of him save for his mouth. The feel of his skin, the sensation of his facial hairs against Law's skin made him break out in goosebumps.

"Told you I'd make you feel good," he whispered into Law's ear before licking and biting his earlobe. "Next time you won't try so hard ignoring me. I don't like being ignored."

"Put my money back, and I'll believe you," Law said, frowning at him.

"Oh, bother, you're one of those guys, aren't you?" Sanji said, straddling his hips but tossing the wad of cash aside. "So attuned to the world around you, all aware and shit."

"Some people have to be."

"Do you have to wear so much, right now?" Sanji then asked, undoing the buttons to Law's shirt, but Law wasn't having that. He quickly sat up and Sanji fell to the floor with an awkward noise. "Bastard!"

He caught the foot aimed for his knee and stood, tossing it to the side. But not quick enough to evade the next kick – a blur of limbs and an impressive headstand later, had Law knocked completely across the room. He righted himself with a startled look as Sanji turned and faced him, hands sliding into his pockets.

"What's this?" Law asked warily. "You're going to rob me, now?"

"You're wearing a ton of clothes. You've worn fingerless gloves this entire time. You won't remove that jacket. What are you hiding under all that?"

"You're the one they sent?" Law asked skeptically. "Must not be from where I'm from. You're from another family."

"So I'm right!"

"Depends on what you're looking for."

"Word is, a very big family is very upset that their youngest went missing. But it's none of my business. That's just word," Sanji said, pacing slowly towards him. "Moving on, this is a whole new world out here. We're just exploring it, seeing what we find."

"'We'?"

"There's more of us. Separated along the way. Occasionally, we run into independents and other groups that find us a challenge," Sanji said. "Sometimes we just have to check them out, see if they're a threat. Are you a threat to us?"

"I live in the middle of no where. I prefer it that way. I'm avoiding people who get curious. If they're too curious, they will disappear," Law promised, fixing his pants. "You made good with your word. I dropped my guard a little."

"Just imagined what could've happened if we had more time," Sanji said with a grin. "I could've had you dropping more than that."

"I could make good on mine. If you promise to keep your hands to yourself."

For the first time, Sanji looked taken off guard. Law gestured at the bed, and Sanji hesitated for a few moments before crawling atop of it. Once Law gestured at him to turn over, Sanji followed his direction with an obvious reluctance. Law walked over with slow action, indicating that he clutch the pillow underneath his chin. With a curious frown, Sanji did so, Law climbing onto the bed to straddle his middle. He grabbed his cash, first, stuffing it into his inside jacket pocket.

With light action, Law began touching him. Stroking the sides of his neck, touching his jawline, taking his time to soothe and relax tense muscles. Once Sanji started to relax to his touch, Law bent over his back, stroking up Sanji's neck and chin with firm action.

"You're a very pretty man," he murmured, stroking the tensing muscles of his neck with fingers calloused from riding, from working outside. He traced the length of Sanji's neck and jaw with his fingers and palms, as if he were stroking an animal. "Very attractive. Couldn't take my eyes off you since the moment I saw you. You carry yourself well, very strongly. I can tell you can hold your own. But I find it disturbing that they sent only you."

" _Wait_ \- !" Sanji started to say, jerking up when Law grabbed the loose collar of his shirt; one hand over the other, both sides of his collar pulled tightly against his neck. Sitting firmly so Sanji couldn't move, Law pulled the material with his elbows out. Sanji struggled, but all it took was the firm angle of his collar shirt pressed against both sides of his neck to stop oxygen and blood flow. It took less than ten seconds before Sanji dropped and Law released the choke. He stood up and away from the bed, and began investigating the suitcase nearby.

He found fine clothing, a pair of shoes, paperwork with what looked to be various receipes, and a couple of books on elementary arithmetic and the West's geography. None of it matched, and nothing made sense. He found a thick roll of money in the lining of the suitcase and a pocket watch. He put those all away, then rifled through the long jacket hanging nearby, finding some old train tickets. Sanji's destination had been to a town Law hadn't heard of, along the west coastline – starting from the lower south east. None of it near his own hometown.

He put everything away, then checked on the other man. Sanji was still out but he'd be fine, and Law had to admire his beauty once again. He gave his neck another stroke of his fingers and then walked out from the room, shutting the door softly behind him. He headed for the back staircase, hearing the sound of approaching footfalls. He didn't look back or feel alarmed at that point, but at least he felt comfortable admitting that this assassin wasn't sent for him.

He untied his horse and went home, feeling irritated that he'd given into his loneliness.

The next morning, he was looking through the pieces of mail that had come for him. The post master was upset because a majority of it had been splattered with blood, the delivery man killed in action on the way in. there were a couple of letters and a small package, and Law took them outside. He jiggled the package, curious about the weight, then opened one of the letters.

The cursive handwriting made him cringe. He refolded the letter and shoved all three items into his saddle bag. He was finished with the town – he guessed he wouldn't be back in for a month. He was just about to ride back home when Sanji ran at him, grabbing the reins to his horse and giving him a furious look.

"You bastard! You can't do that to me!" he snapped, the horse fidgeting in place.

"I'm going to run you over," Law threatened, noticing that Smoker and his deputy were looking over their way.

"I told you, I'm not one of them! But now I want answers!"

"Nothing to give you." His horse reacted, rising up onto its back legs so Sanji let go. But that didn't stop him – he waited for the animal to turn, and suddenly he was right behind Law with his arms around him, kicking at the horse's flanks.

"Hey!" Smoker called out, moving to walk over, and Law wasn't about to linger around the law man in the position he was in. Not even when Sanji had a knife against his back and was hissing at him to "go!" so Law urged the horse forward.

"Ha ha! Yes! I did it!" Sanji yelled, holding onto Law tightly with both hands. "Let's go faster!"

Just on the outskirts of town, though, Law flung both himself and Sanji off the back of his horse. Sanji wasn't prepared, hitting the ground with a loud curse as the horse stopped and waited nearby while Law turned to face him.

"Now you're getting too bold," he warned, jerking the long rifle from the holster on his saddle, his horse snorting.

"Okay look, to be honest, I just wanted to say 'I'm sorry'," Sanji said from the dirt, hands up. "You're right, I was planning on robbing you. I needed some extra cash. If I hit a nerve with the whole back East thing, it was only luck. I'm from back East, I don't know half the people that live in my own neighborhood! All I know is that all sorts of characters come out this way to escape what they did back there! I know I did!"

"I don't appreciate you hounding me."

"Is it because I'm good looking?" Sanji asked, folding his hands behind his head. "Or am I a little too pushy? I get that, sometimes."

"Maybe all of it."

"I can fix the pushy part, but the first part is something I can't help." He stood up with an exasperated expression. "God, this ground's hard! And hot! How can you live like this? I'm dying just lying right here – can I at least stand up?"

Law motioned at him to do so, resting his long rifle against his shoulder as Sanji brushed himself off. He looked towards town, squinting at the bar, then at Law again. "Can you take me to your place? Those guys I'm with are hounding me. They won't leave me alone."

"It's probably the other way around."

Sanji laughed. "You're right! So, how about you help them out? I promise, the only thing I plan on assassinating is your dick."

" _No_."

"C'mon, you had a little taste of it the other night…wasn't I good to you? I can be _real_ good to you," he said, purring up to Law, and Law felt annoyed because having that body of his pressed against him was distracting. He was definitely interested. It had been awhile, and the way Sanji carried himself promised a lot more than a blowjob.

So of course his brain wasn't strong enough to cause protest, because Law did take him back to his place. Sanji gave the small, built from hand house a sort of horrified expression, but liked the quaint setup of the inside. It was only one room but it had all the essentials. Even an icebox with actual ice in there, showing off packaged meat and bottled drinks. Then he made do with his promise, and Law really wasn't ready for it, but Sanji didn't waste any time.

He stripped off his clothes as Law put his mail away, and when he turned, there was a naked man waiting for him on his bed, clothes tossed everywhere. Sanji's body was perfect, and Law stood there and drank in every inch of him for some time before Sanji gestured at him to join him.

"Ha ha, kinky!" he commented when he finally pulled Law's gloves off and saw the tattoos. But he kissed each letter, and when he removed more clothing and saw more tattoos, Sanji kissed every one of them and finally made his way up to his face. When he pulled off his hat, he hovered just over Law's face with his own, breathing him in. "Can I kiss you?"

"Probably not," Law said, thinking that Sanji must do this a lot if he were that comfortable with himself, and it didn't matter. But that was too intimate.

"Just thought I'd ask," Sanji then said with a sigh, drawing him atop of him.

He came prepared, and made Law watch him prepare himself, to encourage him to be ready. Just as he had the other night, he made Law lose all thought. He alternated between languages and pushed, pulled, squeezed and rode him hard, and by the end of it, they were both sticky with sweat and come and it was one of the most satisfying experiences Law ever had.

Night had fallen at that point, and Sanji had come to him a couple of times, draining the life out of him each and every time. Between sessions he'd talk about life back home, about a restaurant he wanted to open once he reached the west coast and about how lucky he was to take a chance on a friend that had yet to make it to town.

"There's three of us, right now," Sanji said, tracing Law's tattoos with his hands, laying between his legs with his elbows over Law's torso. Law had himself propped up on his pillow, drinking the last of his whiskey and sharing it with Sanji but Sanji wasn't that much of a drinker. "There should be five more arriving, soon. After that, we'll move on again."

"You're just a crowd of friends?" Law asked curiously. "Just…passing through?"

"We've got just one goal. Get to the other side. And yours? You're just going to live here in the middle of no where like this and wait for someone like me to pounce?"

"Yep."

"Eventually, the coast catches up. So if you're moving again, you should make out it out west," Sanji said with a wide yawn. "Come visit me in my restaurant. I'll cook you up something nice. Better than this canned crap you have here. All that's there to taste is dirt and dust. It's no wonder you're so skinny."

"Says you," Law pointed out.

"I've got a lot of energy to burn," Sanji admitted. "It's hard being a man-eater."

"You consider yourself a predator?" Law asked with a chuckle. "I don't think you've even seen that type of thing, before."

"You don't think I'm threatening? Then I obviously haven't done my job well," Sanji said, pushing up to lean over him, leaning over to nibble on his chest tattoo. "These are funny looking pictures. What do they mean?"

"It means none of your business."

"After I let you up my ass and everything, you're still on that," Sanji complained, leaning further up to bite his chin. Law pushed him away, rising up from the bed to find his own clothes. The blond relaxed, folding his arms behind his head, and Law, pulling on his pants, had to look over to appreciate the picture. It wasn't very often he had a man like that in his bed. Sanji was the type to have ballads named after him, paintings done. His beauty was just that exquisite.

Sanji lit up a cigarette and blew smoke towards the ceiling. "This has been fun," he murmured as Law rummaged about for food. "Better than being secluded up in that damn hotel. The other two don't mind, but they're damn slugs. As long as Brook has all the music he can play, and Zoro has his goddamn alcohol, they can just sit there and be satisfied. This is torture, almost. It's too hot out here, there's not much to look at, and with all the attacks going on, there's no word from our friends. I'm glad I spotted you, though. You made this much more bearable."

"You're welcome," Law said, looking at the letter again, chewing on some jerky. The family business was growing – expanding westward. They'd catch word of him soon, so it was encouraged for him to continue on. He burned the letter and the envelope it came in over the sink.

"What are you doing?" Sanji asked curiously, rolling onto his stomach to look over.

"Noisy," Law commented, pushing away from the kitchen. "None of your business."

Sanji sat up, waving him over. Lifting onto his knees, he gestured at Law to take his cigarette. Once Law did so, Sanji began kissing his chest again, hands roving over his hips and thighs.

"Again?"

"I am hungry and I always want more," Sanji muttered. "It drives me crazy, it's mostly all I think about. With men and women and I wish I could stop, but I can't. This is how trouble starts."

"Not tonight, then. You've taken it all from me. How about if I tell you you're pretty, instead?"

Sanji laughed. "Please do! Say it to my face. Look at me right in the eyes and tell me all that nice stuff I want to hear. With a straight face. With some damn sincerity."

Law crawled into bed beside him, Sanji cuddling up to him once more, fully comfortable with his nakedness. Stroking his hair, Law stared up at the ceiling, the candle flickering nearby. He told him how pretty he was and said all the nice stuff he heard other people say to their wives out in town, and pretty soon Sanji was snoring over his chest like a content animal.

Law leaned over, blew out the candles, and settled for sleep as well.

Sometime in the night, he was woken up by Sanji pushing at him, whispering low.

"You're the only one living out here, right?" he asked, a slight edge of panic in his tone as Law started stirring. "There's no one else out here?"

"No," Law answered, feeling fully awake. "Why?"

"There's footsteps outside! Too heavy to be anyone I know," Sanji said, pushing away form him and creeping onto the floor, searching for his clothes in the dark.

Law sat up quickly, straining to hear what he did. He heard his horse calling out, and he reached for his rifle, knowing that it was still where he'd left it. But as he did so, the floor creaked too close to him, and a hard force caught him upside the head. He involuntarily slumped over, head ringing, and the house was suddenly full of voices, Sanji cursing out with frustration as men laughed.

When Law finally came to, his place was an absolute mess. Whoever it had been had left nothing unturned, nothing untouched. The only indication Sanji had been there was a discarded cigarette lying on the floor. There was blood spotting from the bed to the door, and Law got up cautiously, holding onto his head as it exploded with a headache.

Wincing, he looked around the inside of his house, then ventured onto the porch. He saw with dismay that they'd killed his horse. There were multiple horse tracks around the house, though, but no sign of Sanji anywhere. He walked back inside, bewildered that his rifle was visible underneath his bed.

At the same time it made sense. When it came into his hands, the rifle was rumored to be cursed. Sometimes, it had a mind of its own.

Rubbing his head, Law looked around his place helplessly. The mail he'd picked up the day before was scattered on the floor, the package open. Someone had sent him a small hand-sized book, and he walked over to it, picking it up with curiosity. Inside was a children's tale – about a cat on the run from some ugly looking dogs. While it spoke of a simple story, the ending vague, the smell of ink and paint suggested that this was his only copy.

He tossed it aside, hands on his hips as he surveyed the damage done to his house. Another item that caught his eye was the pack of cigarettes that Sanji had. The book of matches from the bar was found closer to the kitchen and as he walked in that direction, he caught sight of a single boot lying there.

It wasn't just him targeted, he realized. They'd come for Sanji.

But who?


	2. Chapter 2

**Naghi-tan: :D**

 **Musical Bear: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Part Two**

The next day, Law had just finished tossing the last of the dirt over his dead horse when he heard riders approaching. He pulled his sleeves down to cover the tattoos on his forearms, tucking them underneath his gloves. He turned to see the Sheriff riding over with his deputies.

"Afternoon, Trafalgar," Smoker said, pulling his cigar from his mouth and surveying the property with a suspicious look. "You live so far away from town. It's a rare moment in time when we finally meet formally."

Law wiped his face with his bandanna and tried not to look displeased. Behind Smoker, his deputies, Fullbody and Tashigi, looked about with eager expressions.

Seeing he wasn't going to get a reply, Smoker shifted in the saddle. The near twenty-hand high horse gave a snort to the piles of rock at its feet as Smoker said, "Looks like you've been busy all morning. Mound looks too big for a man, though."

"I don't think I'd waste my time burying a body," Law said in response.

"Yes, you look like the type that would enjoy walking by a corpse every day, watching it rot," Smoker agreed. "Maybe it's a good thing you live so far away. But I'm not out here to make small talk. Where is he?"

"Where is who?"

Smoker lifted an eyebrow, and then jerked his head. Tashigi quickly jumped off her horse, digging out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket. She held it over to Law with her chin up, but her hand was shaking as he looked at it. Sanji's name was blasted over the bottom, along with a bounty – but the picture clearly wasn't the man that he was with last night.

"Never seen this guy, before," he said.

" _I_ saw him with you, last night. Reason why I'm asking is because I've noticed that particular group hanging around the bar you like – I notice everybody coming into my town, and I make it my business to know who's here and what they're worth," Smoker then said. "That particular group has a collective bounty on them for over a million. And that's only for three of them. That's not counting the others."

"That's nice."

"The two men left behind are restless. They're making people uncomfortable. And when they make people uncomfortable, I have to get off my ass and ask around about it. Now, where is Blackleg?"

"When you find him, let me know. He left with my lighter," Law said, leaning on the shovel. "I want it back."

Smoker frowned down at him as Tashigi hurried back to her horse, climbing on with some effort. Fullbody didn't look impressed – the wide scar across his nose and cheeks looked pink and irritated as the sun beat down on them.

With impatience, he demanded, "You had visitors, last night. 5, 7 horses, it looks like."

Law said nothing in response, looking back at Smoker with restless action. "Like I said, I haven't seen him since yesterday."

"How did your horse die?" Tashigi asked curiously, writing down some things on the back of the Wanted poster.

He gave her a puzzled look, pushing up his hat bill to do so. "What?"

"How did it die? I noticed your horse was at least 5 years old, it was perfectly healthy, very calm. It never jumped when the rabble took their fights outside, and it didn't mind Sanji leaning on it the other night. Very well mannered! So how did it die?"

Fullbody hopped off his gelding, spitting into the dirt before crouching over it, indicating several areas with one heavily scarred hand. "Or are you going to lie about that, too? I'm seeing multiple horses coming in and leaving. And one of them had a heavier load, like it was carrying another body out."

" _And_ you're holding your head funny. Do you have a headache?" Tashigi asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Answer the questions, Trafalgar, it makes my work a whole lot easier," Smoker said, leaning forward with a threatening expression. "Don't make us come to any conclusions."

"Someone knifed it. Hacked though his neck with a dull blade. Whoever I offended, however I did it, wanted me to make sure that I knew he suffered." He then pointed off towards the fence, where his horse had stayed. "Scene of the crime is right over there. Follow the flies."

Smoker tilted his head in that direction, Tashigi moving immediately.

"And, yes, I have a headache. Being out in the sun does that to you."

"Having your skull knocked in can do it, too. Your eyes aren't focusing on me and you're leaning on that thing something fierce," Smoker said, straightening in the saddle again, pointing at him with his cigar. "Any reason for those people to come ask you questions themselves?"

"I'm not associated with anybody in this town."

"5, 7 horses, one heavy load, and this," Fullbody said, returning to them, carrying a boot. It matched the one Law found in his kitchen.

"That's definitely not mine," he said, gesturing at his bigger feet.

"He's right, sir, there's blood everywhere," Tashigi then said, hurrying back. "The group was inside of the corrals, there's evidence of rope drag in the dirt. But I also found this."

She held up a discarded cigarette butt that didn't match Law's or Sanji's.

"I don't smell this brand on you," she told him, sniffing the roll. "This is fine tobacco, often imported from South America. It's hard to find in this area. It has to be mailed in."

"Anybody that you know, anybody from your past, looking to cause you trouble?" Smoker asked him impatiently.

"None that smokes that shit," Law answered truthfully.

Smoker chomped down on his cigar as Fullbody looked up at him with impatience, still holding onto Sanji's boot. Then Smoker looked back at Tashigi, who nodded her head.

"If you hear anything else, please, let us know," Smoker then said, turning his horse around. Fullbody looked outraged, looking from the Sheriff to Law, holding onto the boot with both hands.

"That's _it_? We're letting him go?"

"He's got nothing," Smoker told him impatiently. "I believe him. We'll go back into town and ask those other guys, if they haven't followed us already."

Tashigi looked back at Law with worry, but agreed to the Sheriff's decision. Fullbody mounted his horse with an angry curse, turning to glare at Law before following.

Law watched them leave, then looked at the gravesite for his horse. None of it made any sense. They were after Sanji – if they weren't, they would've included him in their mess, too. With the Wanted poster, Law guessed that their group had made their share of enemies – maybe Sanji himself had slept with the wrong man.

He snorted, adjusting his hat, using his bandanna to wipe his sweat away once more. He would just have to be more careful with who he brought home.

But in the meantime, he needed a new horse.

The walk to town the next day took a couple of hours. By the time he reached the outside borders, he saw that two buildings were in flames. There were wagons fleeing to the north, and some movement to the east. Law watched for a few moments, then continued in, thinking that it was just another one of those days when Smoker and his deputies had their hands full.

He walked into the bar, noting the overturned tables, chairs and busted counters. The entire back wall was lying in ruins around the counter area. The windows were shattered. The staircase even leaned heavily to the side.

He studied the establishment with stunned awe, wondering who was capable of creating such a massive act of destruction. As he walked further in, he noted a long slash in the wall – as if a long knife had been dragged through the wood. He reached out to touch it, then jerked his fingers back, as if bitten. At the end of the trail was a splatter of human blood on the wall. Below it, a larger puddle that had stained the floor.

He looked up and realized that most of the walls were covered with spatter. Even the ceiling.

Brow furrowed, wondering how that was even possible, he saw something from the corner of his eye. The reflection in the broken mirrors behind the bar told him he wasn't alone. He turned, dropping his long rifle into both hands. He saw that it was the sleeping man standing there at the entrance way, and he was exuding more of that dangerous aura.

In fact, the expression on his face was downright demonic. The all black long sleeve shirt he wore was pristine, tucked neat into black pants that were held up with a green sash, rather than a belt. The boots he wore had an odd separation at the toes – he'd never seen shoes like that, before. He wasn't wearing a jacket, but a robe-like garment that clung to his shoulders, the sleeves dangling down his sides.

There was a very slight sound coming from him, and it took Law a few moments to see that it was the three gold earrings in one ear that fluttered with the hot desert air. He also saw that the man was holding onto a single black bladed sword, which now made sense with all the markings in the wood. Two other swords dangled from his hip, Law wondering how effective a guy could be with all three swords.

The tall pianist walked in behind him, and lifted a finger. "Him. That's him."

"Where is he?"

The voice that left him was powerfully fierce – rumbling with anger.

But Law had seen worse. Unperturbed, he relaxed his stance. "Were you the one that killed my horse?"

"If I had the pleasure of knowing where you lived, I'd gladly confess to doing so. Now, _where is he_?"

"Seems like he left all of us hanging," he said.

"I'm not going to ask nicely, again."

Law reached into his jacket pocket and set the boot on the rickity counter. "You tell me. He left this one. Deputy Fullbody has the other."

Brook walked ahead to pick it up, handling it gently. He looked back. "He bitched about these things all the way from over there, Zoro. There isn't any possibility of him just leaving them behind."

"Some people rode onto my property, made a big deal about things, and left with him. Now I don't have a horse, and it looks like people are clearing out of here, which makes it a little difficult _buying_ a horse. This has been a huge fucking headache."

"You didn't see these people?" Brook asked, looking dejected. He looked much too old to be wandering about as he did with two younger men, but the way he moved – quietly, quickly and without any sign of trouble – suggested that it was only the sun that made him look so.

"No, I did not. But they knew he was there. Sheriff says there's big bounties on your heads. They had to take me out first to get to him. Was he the weak link?"

Brook's arm shot up and slammed against Zoro's chest. The man had been stepping forward and it was only because of the movement that Law noticed.

He felt a rare smile tug at his lips. "Maybe if you guys kept him on a tighter leash, he wouldn't be wandering off with strangers."

Zoro's reaction was to slash the air with his sword, moving forward aggressively before Brook stopped him again. He removed the foreign jacket off his shoulders, and folded it nervously over one arm. "So far, we've found out nothing, Zoro. Let's try to keep some of them alive to ask more questions."

"Let him go. I have this little rifle on me, it _probably_ won't be much against those stickers, he has," Law said, grinning as he set his feet, finger over the trigger.

"My swords are faster than that thing," Zoro promised, slipping the white scabbard between his teeth. Brook scrambled out of the way with a startled noise, seeking safety away from the tension. With a harsh exhale, Zoro then charged.

Law didn't shoot first, using the barrel and stock to block the incoming blades that alternated coming his way. He moved easily – a slide of the foot there, a twist of the hip here, a lunge and sweep there. But he used his rifle to block each and every swing Zoro made with all three swords, the sound of them connecting clanging loudly within the bar area.

Law kicked out, using his height as an advantage, and caught Zoro in the thigh. He pushed off to create distance and set himself firmly against the floor, heels digging in for more support. After righting the weapon to fire off a shot, the recoil of the blast caused his arms to jerk, but it forced the swordsman to shift back violently. The explosion of the rifle left all their ears ringing, the wall splitting apart and shrapnel flying everywhere. Law then swung the rifle around, forcing Zoro to block and parry, and then fired off another. Brook watched with horror as that single shot sent the rest of the staircase falling, the floor above creaking dangerously as its major support beam cracked in half. Amidst the dust flying, wood crashing to the floor, the pair continued to battle.

"That's two! You're out!" Zoro snarled over the scabbard of his weapon, charging forward. With a smirk, Law allowed Zoro to drive him back towards the piano area. He continued to block all angles of attack with the weapon's length, sliding one foot back until Zoro dropped his arms to slash simultaneously up at him. One finger still on the trigger, Law pushed the barrel of the rifle down and fired again, causing Zoro to jerk to the side. The discharge caught his earrings, the metal burning his skin as the heat of the blast indicated how close he was to catching a bullet to the head.

Brook screamed girlishly.

"Flat footed fuck! _Almost_!" Zoro snapped, having to kick out with his leg to create space between them. At the same time he saw Law drop the barrel of the rifle into the inside crook of his arm to support another shot, and there was suddenly a knife blade visible in that supportive hand that would soon tear into his neck if Zoro moved again. Zoro adjusted his wrist to bring up Shushui lengthwise to the ground so that the blade could at least tear through Law's throat if he fired, the recoil from his own weapon doing the work for him.

"THAT'S _ENOUGH_!" came the mighty bellow from the doorway, and both men paused in mid action.

The Sheriff glared at them, his cigar smoke trailing up to the ruined ceiling. Tashigi's mouth fell open and Fullbody was completely still as the three of them took in the scene. Any movement further, and both men would have killed each other, dependent on the other's actions. All it would have taken was the other man's weapon of choice at their throat, and the three would have been walking into a blood bath.

Smoker walked up to them, using his fingers to indicate that they lower their weapons. Both of them did so at the same time, not looking away from the other. He bent, picking up a spent shell and examining it. Then he gave Law a sour face.

"Military grade?" he asked, holding it up. "And I heard _three_ shots coming from that thing. Normally, it holds only two. You eject that last round _now_."

"And you," he growled, looking at Zoro, "drop that sticker to the ground before I drop those arms. I want to hear a clear answer from that ugly mug of yours."

"And if I chose not to?" Zoro growled, not moving.

"Then I won't tell you what I've found out about Blackleg's whereabouts. Your choice."

With obvious reluctance, Zoro removed the sword from his mouth and dropped them all onto the floor. Law ejected the last bullet from the rifle's chamber, and lowered it carefully at his feet, pocketing the round.

Smoker eyed both of them closely, unmoved by their scowls. "I should put you both behind bars. _You_ for fucking up my town with your unimpressive temper tantrum, and _you_ for having such an ugly face. But I won't. I'm going to let it slide. If you kill each other, you'll be doing me a favor. Now, Deputy Tashigi found a body near the train tracks a while ago. Normally, when trains run over people, they leave a nasty mess behind. But this one wasn't run over. No, he had his chest caved in by a size 10 foot. And this boot here is a 10 and a half." Smoker held his hand out, Tashigi quickly handing him over Sanji's other boot.

"I've seen the bodies Blackleg has left behind. I don't think I can get used to the sight of seeing a foot imprint on a human body as the cause of death. It seems ridiculous until you witness the autopsy afterward."

He set it down next to the one Law had brought and stared at both of them. "This pointless blather should be taken on to the next town. Obviously they took Blackleg away from here by train. There's a schedule at the station. Go wherever your heart takes you. But take that shit _away_ from here. Is that understood?"

He then bent when both men said nothing, and picked up the long rifle. It went off with a deafening explosion, shrapnel piercing the wall next to him, creating a massive hole that allowed them to look outside. He was able to see that the round had pierced the next building over. He dropped it, giving Law a furious scowl.

"It doesn't like other people handling it," he said with a shrug.

The Sheriff straightened and glared at both of them, the right side of his face bleeding slightly from the debris that took to the air.

"Get out of my town," he snapped, turning away from them.

Brook walked over to join Zoro as the three left, both Tashigi and Fullbody looking back with anxious expressions. Crouching, Brook looked into the floor and waved at Zoro to catch his attention.

"There's a basement," he said, pulling up some of the broken wood to reveal the open space underneath.

Zoro looked at Law, picking up his swords and sheathing them briskly. "Five rounds, then. I'll remember that."

"Sometimes it fires whenever it wants, however it wants, bullet or not," Law said, picking up the rifle and shouldering it. "It's last owner died while mistreating it."

"Cursed weapons are attracted to cursed people."

"Then I'm as cursed as they come."

"It stinks!" Brook exclaimed, covering his nose and mouth, pulling back from the hole.

"That's the liquor cellar," Law muttered. "That's where they store all the alcohol."

"There are bodies down in there. It's probably the coldest area they can find when the morgue's full," Zoro said, waving at Brook to move. "It's probably where they stored all the corpses from the fights up here."

"You _brute_ , you didn't have to kill them all," Brook admonished.

"They should've given me the answers I'd asked, for."

At the slither of sound nearby, all three of them pulled away from the hole, looking at the destroyed bar counter. Law reloaded his long rifle and peered around the mess, finding both bartenders crouching amidst the debris. "Come out. You're fine."

"It's not only the cellar, it's part of the tunnel that connects to the rest of the underground," one of them said shakily. "The owner took off when that guy started killing everybody. I guess it's safe to talk, now."

"What sort of an underground tunnel?" Zoro asked.

"The town's got its ties to all the bounty hunters and Marines in the area, and sometimes they don't want to do business in the open. So they use the tunnels to get from place to place. It comes out by the train station," Shachi said. "The owner would sell off the information he heard from here to the Marines that would come visit."

He looked at Law with discomfort. "That's how I got all the gossip I was telling you."

"That's fine," Law said, helping him stand. "Thank you for your efforts."

"Where's Blackleg?" Brook asked him, bending so he could look directly into his face.

"The owner told one of the Marines last night that he recognized Blackleg from a previous trip back East." Shachi reddened, clearing his throat awkwardly, glancing at Law. "He was going to get half the bounty if he told the Marine where, uh, you lived."

"So the Marines have Sanji, then? Where's their nearest base?" Zoro asked.

"Well, not only that, sir, but a bunch of bounty hunters came in late last night. I overheard them talking about how easy it'll be for them if they picked him up to 'lure in the rest'," Shachi continued, grimacing. "I don't know what that meant."

Zoro's face hardened. Brook's hand went to his mouth with apprehension, looking at his companion with a cringe.

"Our reputation has, once again, proceeded us," Brook said wearily.

"If they're on the train, then they're probably headed to Cactus Rock. That's southwest of here. The 615 train was headed that way this morning. That's the end of the line from this town, going south. Otherwise, it's set to take off at 345 to Baltigo, northwest that way."

"We were supposed to take the 345," Brook murmured. "If we send a telegram ahead, we can let the others know what's happening."

"Cactus Rock is not a good place to go, sir," Shachi said, fiddling with his dirty vest. "It's a huge Marine base. And it's crooked as hell. They work with the bounty hunters there. If they don't agree on a target, they execute them for public entertainment so nobody gets the bounty. I come from that town, I know what it's like."

"So Sanji was taken _there_ ," Zoro said impatiently. "We go in, get that fool and come back to Baltigo by the end of the week."

"It's a _huge_ spread," Shachi repeated. "I don't doubt your ability but I doubt just you two can do it."

Zoro sneered at him. Shachi cowered for a moment before Zoro turned and began striding for the door.

"Maybe we should tell the others, first! If it's just me and you, we might be captured!" Brook protested as he followed.

"Do you have family in the area?" Law asked Shachi.

"They all moved East. I thought it was more exciting living out here than back there but after this, I don't know. It's just getting worse."

Law counted out some cash, and gave it to him. "Leave. You were lucky, today. Don't push it."

"Oh, I couldn't take this, this is way too much!"

"Just take it and go," Law told him, leaving the bar as well. Once outside, he saw the pair heading for the train station, Brook still protesting. He had no reason to follow – there was no need for him to get caught up in business that didn't involve him. He looked out at the dusty street, where doors were shut tightly and windows were shattered – the smoke lingering from the burning buildings at the end of the dirt road drifted up into a hot, cloudless sky. He looked at the shadows that shifted away from him, then headed over to the horse auction at the edge of town.

A few days later, he was hauling a pile of rocks to spread over the dead horse's gravesite when the newest one gave a shrilly screech that echoed throughout the area. He winced, nearly dropping the hold he had on the wheelbarrow. He looked back to seeing the buckskin prancing around the fence line, snorting and tossing his head with anxiety. Law looked around himself, wondering if there were wolves close by. He dumped the rocks over the mound and tossed the wheelbarrow aside with an irritated action. Large animals had been digging at the mound, and he'd finally gotten around to loading up rocks to use to cover the soft dirt to discourage it.

He and the buckskin were still getting used to each other, and he supposed that the wild prancing and shrill calls were part of the meeting process. He wandered over, wiping sweat from his face and reached into the corral to coax him over. The horse danced over immediately, tossing his head, snorting loudly.

"Shh shh Bepo," he said, reaching up to stroke the horse's nose, admiring the strong lines of his face, the toss of his black hair. The horse shifted away, continuing to behave anxiously, and Law figured he'd have to take the animal for a ride just to burn off some of the energy he had. He removed his hat for a brief moment, squinting at the bright blue sky, wishing for rain clouds to arrive, already. He fanned himself with his hat, heading towards the house with tired shoulders and sore hands and decided he'd sit the rest of the afternoon out of the sun.

The horse squealed again, the noise the only sound in the area, and he walked up the front porch loosening his collar. Walking inside, he couldn't wait to have a cold beer and maybe a cigarette from the pack Sanji had left behind, but once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized why the horse was squealing so noisily.

There were four of them, now. Brook looked at him cheerfully, covered with bandages from the neck down. He was restringing a violin. Zoro looked in similar shape, with bruises and healing wounds and bandages that were stained, a sullen expression to his face as he stood against one of the back walls, where he could glare out the window there. There was a younger man sitting on the floor near the table in modified short pants with suspenders, with an overly large nose and wild black hair pulled into a high ponytail atop of his head. He had a large buckskin bag that hung across his body, with a Winchester strapped to his back. Lastly, there was another teen in his only chair with short pants and thongs, with bandoleers crisscrossing his chest underneath a dingy linen shirt and a strawhat. He had a pair of six-shooters strapped to his thighs, but they looked too clean and more for show than anything.

They all had his cold drinks in hand, had helped themselves to his meager supply of food and there was even someone sleeping in his bed. It looked like a child.

"We were going to ask if you needed help, but it got too hot," the young man with the strawhat confessed, fanning his face. "So we made ourselves comfortable and waited very patiently until you were done."

" _Get out_."

Brook set his violin aside and stood first, hands in the air with a calming gesture. "It is a little unusual! But hear us out – Zoro and I made it to Cactus Rock, but it was exactly as Shachi had said. We were overwhelmed. We had to make a very hasty retreat. Fortunately, we ran into the rest of our party, but even with the two of them, I'm afraid we cannot make it any further. There's just too many of them. We came to ask for your help, since it was essentially your fault in the first place Sanji was taken from us."

" _No,_ I will not help – I live out in the middle of no where for a reason, why the hell would I want to stroll up to some _Marine compound_ to help some fools I don't even know?"

"Is that what's holding you back? Fine. My name's Monkey D Luffy. This is Ussop the Great! And over there's Tony Chopper – we adopted him!" Luffy said cheerfully, as if it were a completely normal event. "There. All introduced. Shall we go?"

"No," Law said, taking in the entire scene incredulously. "No, this is _your_ mess."

"Ah, c'mon…it'll be great! No one's ever stormed a Marine compound, before, and I think it'd be truly _fabulous_ if we were the first ones that did," Luffy said with a determined gleam to his eye. "Plus they have my friend and won't give him back until we give ourselves up – I considered it, but then I saw what they were feeding him and had to take it back. I told him we'd be back in a few days with reinforcements."

Law stared at him with disbelief, the others shaking their heads or sharing expressions of dread. Even the almighty Zoro looked sick with displeasure.

Luffy rose from his chair and faced him. He was short, still a teenager. He had a scar under one eye, stick straight black hair and he seemed pleased with his decision. He looked up at Law with a wide smile. "Join us…and I'll make sure Sanji makes you cookies afterward."

Ussop laughed, then cut himself short to give Law a serious expression. "No, really, we need back up. I already sent an SOS to the other warriors in our group and they should be coming here within the next couple days. The Admiral gave us two days to gather up the rest of us and approach them, saying he'll kill us all in one sweep – but Luffy thinks the joke's on him."

"The joke _is_ on him! He's not going to know what hit him," Luffy declared, hitting one fist atop of the other. "When Brook told me about your fight with Zoro, I _knew_ I had to ask you to join us. Only two people has ever walked away from a fight with him – his trainer, and Sanji! And now you!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know how clear I've been with you so far," Law said, unrolling his sleeves to belatedly cover up his tattoos. "But I said _no_."

"You say things like that, but it's like you're speaking another language," Luffy confessed, picking at his ear. "When Smoker had Ussop and Tony and I locked up the other morning, I thought you'd be more of the understanding type when people are asking you for help. Considering what sort of thing you left behind when you came here. Won't it suck when you had a chance to help someone, and you didn't wanna because you're scared?"

It made Law wonder what sort of information the Sheriff had on him. But since Luffy's words hit him so close to home, forcing him to think about what and who he'd left behind, he felt angry with the manipulation tactic. He removed his hat, hanging it on the rack nearby.

"I said 'no'. And get out of my house, I won't ask again," he said, seeing that all his beer had been taken.

"I told you this would be a waste of time!" Zoro complained.

"We wouldn't have known until we tried," Luffy said to him, crossing his arms over his chest. He once again looked up at Law with a defiant expression, the others rising up from their seats at an unseen gesture. Brook picked up the child from the bed with a soft mutter, taking a sheet with him. As they filed outside, Luffy pulled out a wad of papers from his pocket and held them up for Law to take.

"We found these on the Sheriff's desk. That's why I thought you'd _want_ to help when it came down to it. In fact, I'm counting on it! Listen, I know my friend. Sanji wouldn't have run off with just anybody – there was something about you he trusted when he made the bad choice to leave Zoro and Brook behind. There are definitely times when my friends do things that I don't understand at first, but when they're putting all their heart into something they're trying to better for themselves and for others, I pay attention! Sanji chose you for a reason. And these, well, these explain it for me."

Luffy made his way to the door, six-round shooters fiddled with briefly before he paused and looked back. "We're going to catch the 615 to Cactus Rock by Tuesday morning. And bring your horse! Hey guys, don't leave me! You know sugar melts in the hot heat by itself!"

The door slammed hard behind him, but Law could still hear him shouting at the others. Bepo called out after them, and he looked down at the papers in hand. They were letters. All of them written by the same hand. The first letter on top was the most recent one.

He walked over to the chair that had been abandoned, and sat down in it. The first letter informed him that 'they' knew where he'd settled, and he should just come back home; in the case that he didn't respond, there was going to be men sent back to 'watch over him'. The hospital was a mess, people were talking about what happened, but he was praised for making such a 'strong' decision to leave it all. It was better that way, after all, so he didn't have to walk the same road as they did. He was praised for having the guts to do it.

The next letter shared brief memories of their time together, and concern on whether or not he was making it okay without all the servants and wealth that he chose to leave behind. He was asked if he were getting enough sleep and if he missed working in the hospital.

The next one detailed all the wrongdoings that had been occurring lately, the flares of violence and outright meanness showing in the handwriting. He was warned that if his location was found, he would be tracked down. So the letters stopped for nearly two years.

The next letter was a rapid catch-up; minimal details about 'acquiring' money moving through the west through comfortably respectable means. The letter was more guarded this time, and he could see right through it. Their next push was to buy most of the banks that were popping up in the area. There was a gentle plea for him to continue to stay out of it.

The last letter ended with affection; it was dated just a few days after the letter he'd received the other day. It must've been mixed up during the delivery, or one of the few held back when the postal workers were killed between towns.

It told him 'goodbye' because he hadn't been answering, and the writer only wanted to find closure. The book that was sent was made for him, and it was supposed to be an uplifting story. The ending was something he could draw on his own, to end it his way. He looked for that book, finding it near the kitchen sink.

When he looked at it again, he saw that the story was about a clumsy crow watching over an abandoned kitten. The dogs wore familiar expressions, and though they barked ferociously in one picture, the kitten handled the situation calmly by showing no fear walking away. The crow and the dogs watched him leave until they were called back by an unseen owner. The ending was his own to interpret, to write on his own.

"Selfish," he muttered, returning to his seat. He stared out the window for some time, thinking about his past and the growing business of the future, and listened to Bepo call out for some attention.

Then he reread the letters and felt himself grow angry. Smoker had these the entire time. He knew exactly who he was, he might've looked into what he was coming from. To hide these letters from him the entire time, saying the things he did, made Law furious. Now it made sense why Smoker kept an eye on him – but it didn't make sense why he left him alone.

So now he had burning questions that needed answers. He refolded every letter neatly, and used the book to clip them in place. He pulled out one of the cigarettes Sanji had left behind and smoked it, thinking about his future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Snowflake97:** **I'm glad you liked it! I'm enjoying writing it! I do love me a good adventure**

 **Part Three**

When he got into town, the silence was unusual. The streets were barely awake and there was hardly any movement, save for some unattended cattle, a couple of riderless horses. But when he approached the Sheriff's office, he wasn't all that surprised to see the man himself sitting out front, cigar in hand. He slid off Bepo and stood in front of him, rifle in hand.

Smoker lit his cigar and calmly sat back in his chair. "It's a little late for you to be out and about, eh?"

"Did you find something interesting, Sheriff? Looking through my shit?"

"Do you find it offensive that I knew all this time? Tough shit. Like I said earlier, I'd like to know everything about everybody coming into my town. Especially about those that keep to themselves. Looking to stay out of trouble? Don't be so secretive, all the time," Smoker said. "The most interesting part of the situation is the trouble behind your leave. I couldn't turn you in because there's been pay-off in the Marine ranks; I couldn't return you, either, because if I had, this entire sector would be bought and placed under their control and I would be out of a job. But if I could help hide you, it'd benefit us all. So I did you a fucking favor."

"I didn't ask for your help!"

"You didn't have to. This is for selfish reasons," Smoker said with a snort. There was a crashing noise, causing both of them to look down the dirt road. From one of the bars located in the center of town, a couple of cowboys were rolling through the dirt, having been tossed through the window. Smoker growled, cigar in mouth while music played grandly, and laughter rang out.

"But what good does it do when something like _that_ comes through? Fucking Strawhat Bandits. Kid from nowhere comes up from out of the dirt with a bunch of fools that think he's the toughest shit out here. Ridiculous how it always turns in their favor. And if they think they can steamroll a large Marine base to retrieve a friend? I'd think they were all batshit insane. Maybe you should go with them. Die in the dirt with glory, rather than being shot in the back because of an old family issue."

"How is it 'glorious' to die for a complete stranger than by family?"

"Tell me, Trafalgar, from those letters – you think Rosinante is still alive? I don't see him in the papers, anymore," Smoker said. "They're steadily moving this way, buying up all the banks and forming alliances with some of the top Marine admirals in this new world. Wouldn't you get a little concerned with how close they are to taking over pretty much the entire territory? You'd have no where to hide when that happens. What do you think will happen when they finally catch up? Maybe forming an alliance with others isn't always a bad thing."

Law stared at him for a few moments, bristling at the suggestion. "I don't fear death."

"Then why leave?"

"That's my concern."

"Then if you don't fear death, then you're holding out for an absolution. How's that coming along?"

There were gunshots, and suddenly more men were flying out the window – in pieces. Wild laughter and an upbeat tune being played on a violin ripped through the street, and caused Smoker to growl. Rising from his chair, he tapped ashes onto the dirt.

"For the last time, get the fuck out of my town!" he snapped, walking back into the station with a roar for Tashigi and Fullbody.

Law watched the trio leave, Fullbody looking at him with thinly disguised frustration. As they walked to the bar with hands on their guns and Smoker's strong voice urging them to think before they act, Law followed. The closer they were to the bar, the better he could hear the wild rise of voices. There were kids yelling, men hollering and laughing, and Brook singing. Women laughed merrily, and glass shattered. Someone went flying through the window amidst some laughter.

Smoker bellowed out for order, striding into the bar with the two following close behind him. Brook changed the tune on his violin to something akin to suspicion and mystery, and continued to play as Smoker lectured. Law examined the bodies lying outside the bar, finding it gruesome as Bepo walked up to him with a curious toss of his head. As the horse sniffed out the bodies with an anxious squeal, Law took the porch and leaned against the window frame. He thought about Smoker's words and the fair warning as Brook continued to play.

He could hear the kids' voices more clearly, with Tashigi demanding to know why a nine year old was allowed to hang with such 'ruffians'. All that she got in reply was laughter and shouts by a reckless teenager. Gunshots sounded, and suddenly Law was seeing a man's hand, still squeezing the trigger of an empty gun, fly out from the window. Not even ten seconds later the rest of him followed, but he was allowed to live. He curled up in the dirt with pained screams, holding onto an arm that bled into the dirt. Once he caught sight of his detached hand, he reached for it, trying to fit it on.

Brook's music changed suddenly, and at that moment, the kid was crawling out from the window. Gunshots erupted, women screaming, the ladies of the night pushing their way out from the doorway with haste.

The kid, Tony, caught sight of him with a dramatic gasp. " _Assassin_?"

Instinct caused Law to push away from the wall, and moments after he did, a blast of the shotgun took to shattering that section. Tony cowered to cover his head as two more shots followed, moving from the first through the window. Ussop poked his head out the window to check on the kid, spotted Law, and hastily reloaded.

"Sorry!" he sputtered, turning away and shooting somewhere else.

"Oh…are you an ally, then?" Tony asked curiously, sitting against the wall while gunfire rang out above his head. Brook finally stopped playing, climbing out the window with a tired huff.

"It's a tough audience in there," he confessed heavily. "My usual singing partner isn't here to help make people happy."

"I hope he's okay! It's very unusual for him to be gone this long!" Tony said with a sigh, covering his head with both arms.

"He's fine. Come, now. Let's walk over here and look at the pretty horses until they're done fighting. Everybody's on edge," Brook said, gesturing at him to follow. Happily, Tony chased after him, and Law looked after them with a frown, finding it unusual to how cool their moods were with so much chaos moving about inside. "You, too. Nothing to see here!"

Law watched one of the ladies run out from the bar, holding tightly onto Fullbody. He was amused to see that it was Bon Clay – her tight dress accentuated her slim form, but didn't hide her masculine neck or features. Her makeup was running, and she was clinging to Fullbody for support, but Fullbody could barely hold her up.

When Law heard Smoker's shotgun being fired, he decided that maybe it was time to leave. But he followed after Brook and Tony as they walked to the horse auction yard.

"It's been a long week," Brook said wearily. "Tony has been sick since we left the plains. Luffy and the others found him antibiotics, but it was expensive. They didn't mean to rob the bank runners – it was entirely by accident! They recognized Luffy and Ussop and there was a firefight. In these isolated areas, who's to tell where the scene of the crime actually is? So they took the money, bought the medicine, and now they're being blamed for the slaughter near Drum Town. So it's best to push it west. This thing with Sanji is a real setback. I'm sure he's feeling guilty about it."

"You guys are called 'bandits' for a reason," Law pointed out, Bepo nudging him from behind to show that he was still there.

Tony crawled atop of the fence to look over the horses milling about. As he clicked and whistled and wiggled his fingers to have one approach, Brook leaned against a fence post and pulled up his violin. He played a few notes before saying, "Only by proxy! We're just a bunch of people tossed together because of circumstances that couldn't be helped. With the research going into the tuberculosis disease that's killing everybody, I, a regular man, was forced into medical experimentation. It resulted in this. I was only 24 years old when they gave me my first injection. The drugs they used aged me to this. I shouldn't be alive, they said. But I feel younger, stronger and definitely more experienced for the ladies!"

"Ha ha! They hate you!" Tony said with a laugh.

"Well, it came with unfortunate side effects," Brook admitted, still playing a slow tune. "Maybe I haven't been as lucky as I thought I was. Luffy wanted adventure – inspired by another bandit himself, he wanted to explore what's out here! There is no law to follow by a man's own – he finds it terrible that what men consider 'justice' is just an obstacle and obligation for another. Sometimes I wonder what he's really looking for… "

"He's a kid, what does he know about the world?" Law grumbled, leaning against the fence, Bepo nibbling at his jacket. Tony crawled over once he saw that Bepo seemed tame, and cautiously reached out to pet the buckskin. Bepo snorted and sniffed the boy's hair, nudging him with his snout before Tony decided to back away.

"All of us came from terrible places," Brook murmured. "Zoro was something of a swordsman from overseas – brought here after being captured, but I suspect he merely got lost. He was seeking to avenge somebody dear to him – something about a village being conquered and destroyed as their world was invaded by ours. Whatever anger he carries is the reason why so many people die when they cross him, or his friends. He speaks English perfectly fine, but when he's really angry and tossing out that gobbily-gook of a language, who knows what he's really thinking?"

"But he can be real nice when he wants to be," Tony added, reaching out to pet Bepo. "Really, he's nice! He just looks scary!"

"Luffy picked Sanji up from a brothel. Something about enjoying the food, but when you really think about it, what was Luffy doing in a brothel, anyway? All that mattered was when Sanji left it, Luffy helped destroy it. It belonged to a family that ran the town, and there was something about Sanji's own family being involved, but he never talks about it. When he saw you, he told Zoro it was 'a small world when leashed dogs are allowed to roam freely in fenced in backyards'.

Law scowled at the town, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. Brook changed the tune to something upbeat, causing a couple of the horses to shuffle away. Tony clapped his hands and began singing a bawdy tune about enjoying a lady and a beer at a bar that smelled like blood.

"Ussop was a sniper in training for the Marines. They were sent to send him Southward to assist with the talks of war down there, but he had someone back home he needed to get to. Nicely decorated, bright future! He and Luffy are the same age – they get into the same kinds of trouble because they have the same ideals. Very nice boy, but he can tell the tallest of tales! You should ask him about the circus. He's very sensitive and bright and I wonder if Luffy had saved _us_ from him by encouraging him to leave the military," Brook murmured.

"Ussop the Great has accomplished many saves and saved many people and killed many enemies that stood in his way because he's a great military marksman!" Tony interrupted himself to say brightly. "Ussop even saved me, so I know he's telling the truth!"

"We ran through a town up north that was slowly disintegrating from a tuberculosis outbreak. He was the only survivor on a farm we used to rest for the night. Luffy took him with us because Tony had no other family and he wanted to show Tony the big world out there. Tony aspires to become a doctor so he could save the lives that other people could not, especially from this disease. He was reading that medical text you had hidden underneath your bed. I apologize in advance if you find his notes – we're still working on his handwriting," Brook said, causing Law to frown at the kid that looked at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I was bored and Luffy didn't want me to go outside because he was concerned I might die," Tony said quickly. "I put it back, though."

"We've many others out there, and they should be arriving on the 1230 train from what remains of Drum Town! From there, I'm sure we'll have enough resource and supply to get us to the base, retrieve Sanji, and be on our way."

Brook stopped playing, lowering his instrument to his side. "You'll be coming with us, I suppose? What's your story, anyway? Smoker mentioned you were using a modified rifle and military issued ammunition – are you a former Marine, as well?"

"No." Law left it at that, crossing his arms over his chest as Tony climbed down from the fence and sat at Brook's feet with a tired exhale, resting his head on top of Brook's boots.

"The family Sanji mentioned, will that be catching up, soon? Not only did the drugs forcefully age me, but I have a very good memory as a result. I'd like to know who I'm watching out for."

"There's nothing to worry about. This is something I'm doing on my own," Law replied pensively, watching as flames started to lick the air near the center of town. There was more gunfire and screams, and he wondered just what the hell they were doing to cause such a ruckus.

"I…hope you're not doing this for your heart," Brook said slowly, with obvious discomfort. "Sanji is…he's not clingy to one person. Whatever impression he made on you, it shouldn't be something you run into with the thought that the gesture could be reciprocated."

"Zoro says Sanji's whore ways thinks for him, sometimes, and Zoro gets really mad about it," Tony contributed. "But sometimes, not even Zoro is enough for him."

"Oh! Little spongy ears!" Brook exclaimed with some embarrassment, clapping his hands over the boy's ears with belated action. "We don't use that word, or term, or say anything like that about Sanji, okay?"

"But Zoro can say it!"

"They have an understanding, Tony. Remember that time that man in Wave City said those things to Sanji? And Luffy got really angry?"

"Oh, yeah," Tony said with a sigh and a shiver. "Luffy was _really_ angry."

"I never thought of it that way. Like I said, I'm doing this for myself," Law said impatiently.

"Oh! Look, the victors are approaching!" Brook said happily, pointing with his bow to the three that were moving their way.

Luffy whooped and ran ahead of them, covered in blood and smoke, his hat tied firmly around him. "You _are_ going! So cool! We're going to wreck them for sure!"

"We got out of there once Smoker started shooting up the place," Ussop said wearily, removing what looked to be glasses from his eyes and setting them atop of his head. "I don't know what his problem is. All we did was remove some of the bounty hunters out of the bar once they started harassing the women."

"Bon Clay likes to stir up trouble," Law said, leaning against the fence. "She's one of those girls that like men fighting over her."

"That was _clearly_ a man in a dress," Ussop pointed out. "But, yes, actually, _he_ was the one complaining the loudest. Then he was mad because Zoro wouldn't talk to him. So he made the other bounty hunters try to fight us. Then they insulted Brook's music so Brook started shooting people and then I had to intervene and save us all and it just…I don't see why the Sheriff blamed _us_ for this."

Zoro shuddered as he walked a distance away from them, sullenly finding a quiet place away from them to glare at the town.

Luffy only laughed, horses scattering. "It was great! This was fun! Out here, you don't have to be careful! Everyone is your enemy! Listen, when the others come in on 1230 train, we're leaving then! I know the train doesn't go that way, but Ussop can drive it, huh, Ussop?"

"I was once one of the fastest engineers on the tracks! I know trains, automobiles and things that require tools, but animals…animals I know nothing about. I can get the train to turn around and head to Cactus Rock no problem."

"That's your plan?" Law asked incredulously. "Just wait for more people and drive in on a train like they're not going to expect you? You've already been there once, right?"

Luffy gave him a blank look. "Yeah. I mean, I'm sure we'll talk about it more once we get down there, but it's pretty basic. We jump out, bust heads, find Sanji, get back on the train and go!"

"That's a terrible idea."

"I thought it sounded pretty genius," Ussop muttered, crouching. Using a stick he found nearby, he drew out a large building, and some train tracks. "See, here's where we'll come in. The safest way to get off with the train still running is if I slow it down to at least 15 miles per hour so we can jump off to this point, here. There's a major water source in the form of the Skypiea river, and it runs pretty deep and wide. It's the biggest river in the whole area, taking out to the sea on the southern coast!"

"The building is about four stories wide, about the size of half this town," Brook contributed. "The wall around it is _at least_ 80 meters high. The town around it is about two sizes bigger than this one. We'd have to ride the train through the town and through the wall gate."

"That's going to require more speed," Ussop said with a frown. "We're not going to jump out safely that way."

"So, what do you guys figure, hmm?" Luffy asked.

"So, we jump off through town. I can still slow it here," Ussop marked the spot with the stick, "pick up enough speed to ram it through the wall gates while getting to safety at the same time."

"But here, there are shooters posted," Brook said. "When we got in, Zoro had to move from one side to the other to get rid of them, and in that time, they all came out from here…"

Brook marked a point in the building drawing that indicated the release. "And we were swamped – if we can have someone take out the shooters first, there needs to be ground cover to handle the Marines coming out from here. This is the only doorway in this sector. The entrance way is a metal door. When I looked into it as we were fighting, it opened up to a winding stairway."

"Easy! Me, Zoro, Law and Brook can handle the ground – you take out the shooters up too! I believe in you, Ussop. You're very quick and accurate."

"Right!"

"They know you're coming, they're not going to hold him in the same place," Law grumbled. "If this Admiral is as dedicated as you say, he's going to either execute him in front of you to throw off your thinking, and then pick you all off one by one from shooters he'll hide in the building and the posts, here. And that's _if_ you make it in!"

"The Admiral said he'd wait until we were all there, he wouldn't touch Sanji then," Luffy said. " 'One fell swoop!', he said."

"This is ridiculous, you're going to be murdered before you even reach the town limits on a stolen train. They can always block the tracks! Why would he keep his word to you?"

"Because it's important for him to have us all rounded up at the same time," Luffy said with confidence. "If we're all separated, there's still a chance that one of us will emerge victorious, and he can't risk that! I have all the confidence in the world in my friends!"

"If they do plan on executing him, they're going to put him on this platform, here," Brook said, making a picture within the walls.

"Oh, good! They'll make it easier for us by bringing Sanji to us! Ussop, you can make the shot! All you have to do is free him, and he'll come to us!" Luffy said.

"Right!"

"There is no guarantee that this will even happen – they're waiting for you. They've enough time to round up reinforcements and draw in more weaponry. You're going to be overwhelmed!" Law insisted incredulously.

"Look, Law, I know what we're doing. We've done nothing like this before, but it doesn't mean we haven't escaped out of similar situations, either! Every one of us brings a different talent to the table – all of us are capable of fantastic things when we all come together! And when one of us is in trouble, we don't hold back!"

Law gave him a skeptic look. "And if it doesn't go as planned? What then?"

"I don't even think like that, that's all up to them," Luffy said with a heavy sigh. "I just go with whatever they tell me to do…"

" _You're_ the one with all the plans in the first place!" Brook, Ussop and Tony exclaimed at the same time.

Luffy laughed again, hands on his hips. "You guys are so funny! Talking all as one!"

"So the Admiral gave you two days' notice, then? So you'll just abide to it, wait for him to draw in reinforcements while you wait for yours? Why don't you tell your friends, if they're that 'strong', to continue their way into Cactus Rock and we leave now so we at least have the element of surprise!" Law said, kicking dirt over their drawings. "If this is something I'm helping you with, I'd rather have a better plan than this!"

"The element of surprise? But if they don't know we're coming, we'd have to find Sanji, rather than – it could work! Because the Admiral will be pissed we came in earlier than they anticipated, and they'll most likely pull him out as a way to negotiate with us! They can't fly into a set up, right away," Ussop cut himself off, looking up with a bright expression. "We take the back-up engine that's stored at the train station – they use it when one breaks down. It should only be an engine and a storage rail car! Less cars mean more speed! We'll take that to Cactus Rock!"

"We can send the others a quick telegram to Drum Town. They'll get it in time to just continue their way here!" Luffy exclaimed. "Tony! Take your nap! Zoro! Grab the booze! Brook, are you using the violin or the viola?"

"We're going to need a deeper feel for the drama that's no doubt going to happen inside of there – the viola!" Brook cried.

"I already took a nap!"

"If I do grab the booze, I'm not sharing!" Zoro said crankily.

"Law! Are you ready? Grab your horse! You're the only one out of us that can ride it!" Luffy said. "That way, we can look really cool riding into battle with at least one real cowboy!"

"I'm not riding my horse so I can jump it off a damn train."

Bepo snorted, tossing his head angrily.

"Uh, excuse us?"

All of them looked over, seeing Shachi and the other bartender nearby. Luffy's eyes practically sparkled as he turned to face them. Out of their uniforms, they wore stiff shirts, similar brown vests and jeans rolled at the ankle. They both wore their hats so low that their eyes were barely visible, but Shachi had messy red shoulder length hair and the other had a clean neck.

"We couldn't help but overhear your plans," Shachi said, touching his companion on his shoulder. "We can help. _We_ can drive the train."

"That way, all of you guys can cover the ground and what not, and we'll stay behind to use the train to get you all out when you need to go," the other said.

"That's _fantastic_!"

"We can also hook up a couple of cars from the station to the engine. We have access to some weapons the Marines left here in the tunnels in a storage room underneath the hotel. There's practically unlimited ammunition, and a fifty caliber. One of the cars will have a ramp so you can load and unload your horse easier."

"A fifty cal?" Both Ussop and Luffy cried with excitement.

"The tracks can also take you _around_ the building," Shachi continued, crouching where the plans were previously drawn. "If we load the fifty cal to the train, we can use it to provide cover from the outside, as well."

"I feel faint," Ussop said to Luffy.

" _Because that sounds awesome_?"

"Mostly, but it could've been because we're actually going to do this. We're going to storm a _Marine Compound_!"

"No one else has ever done this before!"

"There will be ballads written about us!"

As the teens celebrated, Law looked at them, feeling incredulous at their joy and excitement.

Zoro snorted from his position in the shadows, ripping off the bandages from his shoulders. "And what happens if that idiot finally gets free and leaves the compound on his own?"

The teens fell silent, all of them looking up with comprehension.

"We'll just turn the train around," Shachi muttered. "Then blow up the tracks behind us. That should give us all a head start."

"We have explosives!" Ussop said.

"Right! Well, enough of this!" Luffy said. He held a fist out with a determined expression "Let's get the ball rolling! You all know what to do, I'm counting on you! For Sanji!"

"For the glory!" Ussop said, fist in.

"For the challenge!" Zoro said, walking over to add his own fist.

"For revenge," Shachi and the other chimed in, adding theirs.

"For the music!" Brook added, age spotted hand adding to the formation.

"For the ultimate adventure!" Tony cried, lifting onto his toes to add his.

Then they all looked at Law expectantly, but he was already walking away, Bepo at his back.

Luffy shrugged, and all of them cheered, startling the horses nearby.

Two hours later, Smoker and his deputies watched the stolen train leave the station, Fullbody giving a frustrated growl.

"Don't worry about it," Smoker reassured him. "They'll get no where near that damn compound. In the meantime, I want everyone to clear out from here. Once the word is out regarding them all working together, those Marines will be dropping by like flies on shit, wanting to know why we didn't try to stop them."

"We had every mean to do so!" Fullbody snapped. "We _had_ them!"

Smoker chewed on his cigar for a few moments. Then he looked at him with impatience. "You're not seeing it, are you?"

"Sir, what should I do about the tunnels?" Tashigi asked him anxiously. "We've still got some TNT leftover."

Fullbody gave her a startled look, unsure of what was said.

"Blow it. All of it. They'll think those bandits did it. They'll be back soon, we don't want to give them any chance of cover."

"The bandits? Or the Marines?" Fullbody asked.

"The Marines, dipshit. Get going."

: :

Sanji watched the shift change occur on time. The Marine guards spoke quietly and urgently, the air rife with tension. All of them were anticipating Luffy's big attack on the compound and just hearing their apprehension made Sanji grin. While he felt guilty for being the cause of all the trouble, he couldn't dwell on it. He had to move on.

The shackles his feet dragged as he leaned against the door to peer out the open window, noting the guards exchanging information with each other on their day's work. As far as he knew, he was the only one with a high priority status. The other prisoners were townspeople, and angry bounty hunters that broke a rule. A couple of them were set for execution soon, and they hadn't failed in letting everyone know how unfair it was. Their screams and cries were giving him a headache.

He listened for a set of particular footsteps to come his way, and they were – right on time. He shuffled away from the door and stood close to the barred window, waiting for the door to open to admit the guard in. From the first day, this one had been particularly attentive, and Sanji knew he was the key to his freedom – he just had to play it carefully. While he knew Luffy was capable of rescuing him, he knew his conscious couldn't allow it. Sanji was going to leave the compound soon and it depended on this guard.

The Marine looked at him with a scoffing noise – tall and burly, he wore his uniform sloppily. His pants were too tight, his shoes dull and the keys at his side rattled with each burp and cough he had. He was a smoker, too, and it was driving Sanji crazy to smell it, and not partake. He hoped the guy had his pack on him, because he was going to need them.

"Good morning, you big brute," he said cheerily, putting the emphasis on the insult. The twitch of the Marine's eye made him grin even wider. "Did you dream of me, today?"

"It's too bad they didn't put a muzzle on you to shut you up," the Marine commented before coughing into one hand. "You know what to do. Face the wall."

"Normally, I wouldn't mind this position, but I feel wickedly vulnerable with you standing so close behind me," Sanji said, turning and grinning at the brick in front of him.

"The other guy said he didn't check you, today. Said you make him uncomfortable," the Marine said gruffly, reaching out to kick the shortened chains that kept Sanji's legs close together. All he could do was shuffle. He reached out and checked the ties around his wrists and arms, which made it difficult for Sanji to support himself if he happened to try anything. The Admiral was adamant that this man remained tightly tied at all times during shift changes and meal breaks. But none of the guards had risked untying his arms since he'd come in, and the Admiral had been busy planning for Luffy's return. So the guards were counting on his lack of food and water as a good thing.

A few moments passed, and Sanji cleared his throat noisily. "Well? Are they still tight?"

"Very tight," came the answer, and Sanji smirked. He knew the Marine wasn't talking about the chains.

When he'd first arrived at the compound, they'd taken all his clothes, hosed him down with disinfectant and forced him into prisoner garb. They were loose and scratchy, hiding his best attributes, so he had to work a little harder to show off the goods with body movement and suggestion. None of the other Marines took too kindly with it. He'd endured a couple of beatings until he found the right Marine to respond to him. As a result, this one clearly tortured himself with the task of procedure while the others hadn't.

"It's not very pleasant, being in this position. When can I get my meal? Will you feed it to me, or will I have to eat it like a dog? I'm sure you'd like me in that humiliating position," he added cheekily.

"If no one's given you anything, then it means you don't deserve it."

"At least give me some water. I'm parched. Just dribble it over my mouth, if you have to. I'm capable of taking in every single drop," Sanji said with a slight turn of his head, licking his lips as he maintained eye contact with the man.

The Marine pushed away from him with a gruff snort. He left the cell with a loud slam of the door, and Sanji glared at it in frustration. He hobbled away from the window, grimacing as he wiggled his arms fruitlessly and sat down on the hard floor. He started to worry in that he wasn't going to escape in time. He had no reason to doubt Luffy and the others' abilities, but he feared chance and luck in that the Marines would get lucky.

But it only confirmed what he thought, and that was only to see if Law was the one the family was looking for. He was amazed that the former surgeon was still alive and well, considering what he did to leave the family behind. But it also made Sanji curious as to _why_ he was still alive. What was the family waiting for?

The damn bounty hunters missed a huge payout by taking him and leaving Law. He was very small fish compared to the man. Then it made him wonder if the bounty was even public.

He figured he'd find more answers later, when he left the compound. He looked up when the guard returned with a tin cup of water. Sanji felt his mouth salivate, and he swallowed hard in anticipation.

"Oh, thank you! My gallant hero!" he exclaimed, lifting onto his knees. Then he waited for the guard to approach him, and he did so as Sanji expected. Close to him, so that he was eye level with his crotch. For a few moments, the guard just looked down at him, and Sanji did his best to look as appealing as possible, to watch the flush on the guard's face color his cheeks. The man held the cup over his mouth, and Sanji stretched for it. The guard slowly pushed the cup against his lips and tipped it slightly. When Sanji drank of the warm liquid, he maintained eye contact with the man the entire time. When the cup was empty, he licked the rim just for show.

As he expected, the man's ill fitting pants began to form a tent. He had to shift his stance to accommodate it, and that was all Sanji needed. He headbutted the man's boner before shoving his head between his legs, and shifting the guard's weight onto his shoulders. With a firm jump and push of his legs upward, he managed to lift the bigger man from the floor with his shoulders, crouching to preserve his balance. He twisted his shoulder so that the man slipped to sit there, Sanji's own face against the curve of his ass. He slammed the man down onto the hard floor, twisting in mid-follow to throw his own body with him, the back of his head to the back of the man's knees. He irked out a grunt as he swung both legs up and drove his feet heel first into the back of his head.

At the satisfying crunch and feel of human skull caving in underneath his bare feet, Sanji exhaled heavily, staring up at the ceiling with effort. Being without food for a few days had left his body feeling weak, and being without water had left him dizzy. But now that he was moments from freedom, he was starting to feel a little better.

He shifted up, swinging his legs off the dead man's back, and slid his body over to his arm, sitting up so that he could lay over the man's back, to allow him to dig into his pockets.

He found the set of keys and gave another sigh of relief. He tossed them to open space ahead of him, and then squirmed over in that direction, to pick them up with his mouth. Lying on his side, he then tilted backwards until his feet were touching the back of his head. From there, he used his mouth and tongue to find the right shape of the key needed, and positioned it between his teeth. He looked back at his feet, saw the keyhole he needed, and negotiated the distance by stretching his neck and twisting his body, lifting his ankles slightly so that he could place the key into the hole. With a firm clench of his teeth, he managed to unlock the chains in that position. Once the weight shifted, falling away from his ankles, he twisted around, his legs kicking out.

Enjoying the sensation of freedom from the chains, Sanji kicked out a few times, exhaling with relief. He wiggled all his toes and popped his ankles, then stretched them out to the ceiling. He tossed his legs over his head and stood up from that position, giddy with returning sensation. He then kicked one leg up into the air, steadying himself and finding his balance as he stretched that leg. After resting his knee briefly on his own shoulder, he repeated the action with the other leg.

Feeling comfortably stretched, Sanji then began wiggling his arms downward, bending his back in an uncomfortable position in order to pull his arms down toward his ass. Once there, he began sawing his arms over his ass until he was able to push through. That way, he was able to slide his arms out and over his legs, and he pulled arms up in front of him. He examined the ties at the wrist, rising to stand once more. Bringing the ropes to his mouth, he tightened the knots with a grab of his teeth, then raised his hands high above his head. Aiming downward, he broke the tie over his hipbone, and he reveled in the freeing sensation.

From there, he untied his arms, and stretched them over his head with cheer.

Then, he hastily undressed the guard, redressing in his uniform. When he had the hat on, hair brushed out of his face and underneath the cap, he took the guard's shoes and keys. With a hum he left the cell, shutting the door tightly behind him. He walked down the hall with his hands in his pockets, wishing he had a cigarette.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Ha ha I had too much fun with this chapter!**

 **Naghi-Tan: Maybe there's a slight chance of it…the forecast gets a little flaky in April, though. :D**

 **Snowflake97: Read what happens next!**

 **Part Four**

The express steam engine was sleeker than the ones he was used to. It was three cars long, with a tender and engine. It was passenger only. The crewmembers milling about were wearing different uniforms than an ordinary Marine, so Sanji cornered one of them as he was loading suitcases into the luggage section, and choked him from behind until he'd fallen limp in front of him. He hastily exchanged the uniform he was wearing with the man before dragging the body to deposit underneath some rose bushes before making his way inside. The first two cars had guests that spoke briskly of military affairs behind a half opened door, and the other crewmembers were scrambling to load the train so that the conductor could pull away from the station. Sanji assisted when needed, then met with the other crewmembers to take their seats in the last car as the locomotive pulled away. He was only vaguely alarmed as the train picked up speed within a matter of minutes, and soon they were racing out from Cactus Rock. The train was much faster than what he was used to, and it took some slow breathing and restless squeezing of his fists to keep from being suffocated with anxiety.

He stared out the window with tired wonder, noting that the night sky was full of brilliant stars, and the moon was hanging low over the mountains. The desert was lit with some illumination, and he noted the sparse offering of brush, tress and some mountains in the distance. He was unfamiliar with the area and couldn't even place where exactly he was. When he was taken by the bounty hunters, they'd covered his eyes and kept him in line with the other captured prizes they'd found that night. All he remembered was breathing slow and light and keeping his thoughts centered on repeating recipes by memory by each ingredient. Feeling the other anxious bodies around him, with the threat of imminent violence and trapped like animals had made unpleasant memories swirl around his thoughts. It took extreme concentration to keep his mind in the present.

Now he had to focus on actually getting to his destination in time to stop the others from approaching the compound. He noticed in the reflection of the window that one of the other crewmembers was giving him a studious look, so he turned to meet his gaze.

"I don't remember your name," the man said slowly, squinting at him.

With a frown, he said slowly, "It's Hastings. I'm replacing Sancho, remember?"

The man was still looking at him oddly, so Sanji left his seat, mumbling purposely about other men hitting on him. This made him uncomfortable, so while he spent a flustered moment taking in the other derisive stares from the other crewmembers, Sanji walked to the back of the car. There were five of them – he couldn't take on five at once, so he had to choose his battle carefully. Men in numbers secretly terrified him. Without the comfort of his friends, the nakedness of his back felt overwhelming.

He swallowed tightly, breathing in deep – told himself he was being finicky because he was hungry and tired. But as one of the crewmembers got up to tend to their passengers at a beckoning call, another followed to help. Another went to use the restroom, so the two remaining comforted Sanji. The anxiety slipped away. Still craving a cigarette, he approached one of them, tapping his lips with indication. The guy stood up with a helpful action, pulling out a pack from his front pocket and inviting them all to the back to share.

It was too easy. As soon as Sanji had his lit, he kicked the two men over the rail and watched them fly over the tracks, their bodies like ragdolls. He cringed, knowing that there was no chance of survival for either – they were going much too fast. He clasped the cab rail with both hands and looked up at the night sky once more. Cactus Rock was rapidly growing smaller the further they drove, and the lights were a mini city in the vast darkness of the desert. He finished the cigarette in silence, thoughts whirling in confusing circles.

He exhaled again and walked inside. The man who had been using the bathroom was now washing his hands near the sink, still looking embarrassed about their earlier exchange. With his back turned, Sanji stretched his legs once more, trying to get a feel of his pants. Once he was satisfied, he walked up to the man and kicked flat out, catching him in the back of the head and driving a human skull into the wall. Once the body slumped over the sink, Sanji hastily dragged him towards the back, nervously eyeing the entry way for anybody that might be returning, and struggled to toss the body over the railing.

After that was complete, he returned inside, fixing his hat and tucking his hair more firmly within, and walked up to the passenger car. He walked in with all the confidence in that he belonged there and felt his chest tighten up. All around him were hard-faced Marine generals, a couple of well known bounty hunters and some random men with weapons on display. It was almost similar to walking into a wolves' den. One of the crewmembers was busy serving them drinks, and gestured at Sanji to help him. Sanji was grateful for the chance to keep busy, intending on making it through this car and move onto the next. The kitchen area was located in the next car, so as he was ushered in to gather up more refreshments, he paused in mid step over the dangerous gap between cars. He found what he was looking for, and quickly reached down, yanking with all his might on the connecting spike the held the car in place. When he saw that it was still holding on, he shifted to the side, locating a couple of connecting wires that he disconnected promptly.

The car started to lag behind, the electricity cutting out immediately. He lunged forward onto the moving car, looking back to seeing a couple of the Marines pile out from the doorway to see what was happening. Once they saw they'd been disconnected from the main car, they jerked out their guns to fire at him. Sanji hastily made his way into the last car and slumped against the door with relief. The small utility room absorbed the sound from outside, making travel a little more bearable for the passengers. Opening the sliding door, he walked into the main compartment. The narrow kitchen was a welcoming sight, and dishes clacked lightly in their storage areas, aromatic food smells hitting him hard. He wandered towards the food that had heaped onto fancy dishware, ready to be delivered. He picked up a fork and speared a bite from each item.

Satisfied, and he picked up the plate to take with him as he perused the rest of the car. As he left the kitchen and walked through another pair of sliding doors into the passenger compartment, he realized he wasn't the only one there.

One man was sitting atop of a chair, resting his arms on the back of it. He had stringy shoulder length black hair, a freckled face, and he wore a black fitted shrug, the ties dangling over his bare chest. His hat was also hanging from his neck, in a familiar way that Luffy would with his hat. It made Sanji miss the kid all of a sudden, quite aware of how lonely he felt without their presence. The man was built with muscle in the torso area, his hips lined with an ammo belt and guns strapped to his thighs, but it was the tattoo that took up his entire back that caught Sanji's eye. It was a blackout shape of a _manji_ – he remembered Zoro telling him that the symbol portrayed a "balance of opposites". He wasn't sure what that meant, but he'd left it at that.

The other man was looking at him funny, leaning over some metal objects that looked as if they'd just been unpacked from large suitcases. His wild red hair was held back by what looked to be goggles, and his pale face, eyebrowless eyes were pinched in an angry expression. He had severe scarring over the right eye and chest, and he was tall. Sanji estimated him to be well over six foot five, which made him the anxiety return. Taller men were harder to kick down, especially those built with muscle as this one was. It was as if he were facing against a titan, and Sanji felt those feelings of vulnerability hit him. He hated that his fear of men ruled him in such ways.

Beyond him were three more men, wearing various bandoleers, holding onto shotguns, all of them with intense expressions. It looked as if they were gathered to meet with the others, the tension in the air almost unbearable.

"Have you been served, yet?" Sanji asked meekly, clearing his throat forcefully. His mind was still reeling with fear that made his stomach tremble as he faced the bigger beast in the compartment, already ruling him as the leader of the group. "I'm the replacement. I apologize."

"Are you eating our food?" the redhead asked with heavy irritation. "What kind of shit is that?"

"I apologize," Sanji said again, bowing low – noting that the things that were sitting out in front of him were shaped like rectangular boxes, with odd holes and wires that looked like the inside of a mechanical object. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He bet Ussop would have, and missed the teenager intensely at that moment. "I've gone a few days without a meal, I couldn't resist."

"I don't want that shit, anyway. Fancy ass crap, thinking men get satisfied with fucking vegetables. Where's the fucking meat?"

"I'll fix you a plate right away, sir!"

"Didn't you hear me? I don't want a fucking plate! Get me some damn alcohol," the redhead snarled, waving him away. "What kind of shit train is this, where their workers suck at service? Hey, weren't you told to treat your customers with a little more respect?"

"Calm down, Kidd," the one sitting on the chair said, with not much weight to it. "Your turn is coming up. Think about what you're going to propose rather than taking your shit out on some worker bee."

"I'm tense for a reason, Ace! That car's full of top dogs, and if I don't make the right proposal, they're going to fuck up everything I've worked hard to establish," Kidd muttered, looking down at the metal between his feet. "I'm just thinking once they see what I can do, they'll agree with my proposal. The world needs an upstart that's not afraid to take risks, and I'm the one they should be looking at. Unlike your lazy ass, I've got goals, man."

"Right. You're an inspirational figure to all of us, isn't he?" Ace asked with a grin to the other three.

With an impatient look back at Sanji, Kidd snapped, "Where's my goddamn beer?"

"Oi! Me too!"

"Oh, yes sir, I do apologize for my uncouth behavior," Sanji said quickly, backing up to the kitchen. He shut the doors behind him with a heavy exhale, then abandoned the plate. With some panic creeping up his spine, he hurriedly searched the cupboards for their drink stock, and found a refrigerator in the corner closest to the back door. He marveled at the piece of technology for a few moments, pushing his face into the cold air and then plucked out a wide wooden barrel. Opening the top, he sniffed the alcohol to try and guess what it was, then shrugged, pouring some into two chilled mugs he'd found just above the refrigerator.

When he emerged to serve the two, the three men in back demanded a bathroom. After Sanji passed the mugs to the two men that asked, he offered to show the trio where it was. He followed after them, indicating the back door. Once they walked outside the sliding doors, Sanji caught the door as the last man intended to shut it, giving a friendly smile as he indicated the door they should take.

"But this takes us outside –what the fuck?" the first man exclaimed, seeing that they were they were the only car in attached. Sanji grabbed hold of the doorframe, and supported himself, kicking forward with a grunt. He caught the two standing closest to him in the back. As they stumbled forward, they knocked the first over the railing. He fell with a scream, hitting the tracks with a rough bounce. The pair managed to catch themselves on the railing, but Sanji pushed forward, reaching down to grab the legs of one of them, jerking him up and over. When he flipped over the railing, Sanji then pushed back and kicked him in the face, following with the movement to tear his fingers from the railing. When that man fell, he turned to the other, throwing an elbow into his surprised face. Then he spun, throwing another elbow in the same spot, his back against the man's front. With that position, he lurched forward, hands on the floor and kicked both legs out, catching him across the face and chest.

He sat on the hard metal floor with a heavy exhale after the man was disposed of. "Two more," he told himself, rising slowly, feeling tired.

He walked back inside, straightening his clothes. The two men were engaged in an intense discussion. After he made sure they were comfortable, he excused himself and marched to the front of the car. Once outside, standing in the cab, he saw that the crewmembers working the tender of the steam locomotive were busy looking over a panel and talking about the diagnostics. There were seven of them, and Sanji frowned, exhaling heavily.

He looked down at the connecting cable, and crouched to start detaching them.

"Hey, where the fuck is my food?" he heard, moments before he was jerked back from the floor, pulled harshly into the car and flung back towards the kitchen. Sanji lost his footing and hit the floor with an undignified grunt, landing in a sprawl atop of the metal things he'd seen earlier.

"What the hell were you doing?" Kidd demanded, having to bend over just to stand. The aisle was too narrow, forcing him to make constricted movement. He looked as if he completely dominated the entire car, making everything around him small.

"Reattaching the cable to keep the electricity running," Sanji answered quickly, scrambling up to his feet. He noticed then that Ace had fallen asleep – sprawled on the couch nearby with slight snores, his mug spilled on the floor below. He looked back up at the redhead, rubbing the small of his back painfully. "I'm sorry sir."

"Where are the other guys? Are they really taking that long in the can?" Kidd continued to demand, marching over in that direction. Sanji followed after a hasty glance at the sleeping man, and prepared himself to launch an attack as soon as the man had made it outside. Once he slammed the sliding door open and marched out into the cab, Sanji sucked in a hard breath. " _What the fuck_?"

Sanji launched himself, catching the guy in the back of the head. He only stumbled over the railing, catching himself with a surprised noise. Sanji kicked up, aiming for his crotch, but the man pushed himself away from that area and in the tight enclosure of the cab, parallel to Sanji. Once his foot touched down, Sanji twisted to face him, then shot forward with a fake kick to the man's middle, shifting it to his face when he bent to guard.

The impact did nothing but push his head against the wall, and Kidd charged at Sanji. Sanji ducked quickly, rolling back into the car with near clumsy action. He slammed the door shut, jumping up and locking it. He figured he'd find a gun to dispatch him with after he took care of the other guy. He marched forward with a huff, straightening his clothes, figuring he could toss him out from the front. But a loud screechy sound caught his attention.

He paused and looked back at the doors, unsure if it had come from there. The sound came again, and suddenly the door was slammed wide open, the sliding doors kicked in. The man emerged with an enraged expression, holding a slim, metal rectangle that glowed blue within the center of it.

"It's my invention! These magnets work on everything, including locked doors!" Kidd snapped at him.

Confused, Sanji stared at that, wondering what it was before the man tossed it with a snarl and lunged forward. Sanji reached out, grabbed him by the collar and jerked them both backwards, using the man's momentum. He twisted his body to the side, Kidd catching impact first. Sanji tossed his legs up and out, bringing both knees up into the man's ribcage as he landed on top of him. He exhaled with harsh action, Sanji jumping back a step before launching himself into a flip over the man – landing with his heel down into the same spot he'd kneed earlier.

The man nearly vomited in reaction, but twisted quickly, reaching out and catching Sanji's leg before he could fully withdraw it. Sanji, with a grunt, twisted himself into falling into the floor but swung his other leg out, catching him in the face with his heel. Both of them dropped to the floor, Kidd cursing fluidly before he pushed back up and charged.

He managed to slam into Sanji, driving them both into the wall near the couch. Sanji grunted, cringing as pain exploded around him. Before he could drop to the floor, Kidd grabbed a hold of his hair and lunged up with a knee to his face. Sanji slumped forward without any more fight, and the man released him with a scoffing noise. He stomped toward the suitcases, digging out a Smith and Wesson, spinning the barrel.

"Wait, hold on," Ace said, hand in the air as he flipped through a book.

" _Now_ you're awake? Why do you keep doing that?"

"Don't you check on all your attackers? Even question why you're attacked on a Marine express train by someone in disguise? C'mon, man, sometimes, the hunter becomes the hunted," Ace said, chewing on his bottom lip as he flipped through all the bounty posters he had glued to the book. Then he found Sanji's, tapping on the page twice. "Check it out. He's worth 145."

"What? And only alive? _That's_ Blackleg?" Kidd repeated incredulously, looking back at the man slumped against the wall. He then held his hands a wide with away. "I expected him to be a bit bigger. My size."

Ace shrugged. "Well, that's that. So…once we get to Baltigo, you turn him in, and we continue on our way. I'm sure the rest of them will catch up, somehow. It's not like they were killed, or anything."

Kidd turned away with a shake of his head, moving towards his metal arms. "You're right. Fine. That's a good idea. And here I thought they were just – _ugh_!"

Ace brought the metal bar down hard over his head, throwing all his weight and effort into the swing. Kidd went to the floor with an undignified crash, head bouncing on the floor. Once he settled, Ace tossed the bar aside with a wince.

"Jerk," he commented lightly, kicking aside his feet. He then looked over at Sanji, giving a snort. Pulling his hat atop of his head, he then looked over at the car's front, saying to himself, "My turn."

: :

By the time he'd cleared the train, the moon had illuminated most of the desert. They would be within an hour's distance of Loguetown, and if he remembered it correctly, that place was hidden within more rocks and hilly roads that would do his plan perfect. He slipped his hat back on and slipped back into the passenger car, noting that Kidd was still out. He wondered if he should kill him, but made his way over to Sanji instead.

Reaching out to shake his shoulder, Ace crouched in front of him, looking up at the damage Kidd had caused by slamming into the other man. The wood had cracked, splintering inward to reveal the compartment's metal shell. The whistle of the outside was making its way inside, and made the air a little cooler than it was earlier.

Sanji woke slowly, opening bleary eyes before registering the distance between them. Then, suddenly, he attacked Ace with sloppy kicks and enraged growls, pushing and shoving at the man to keep him away. Ace held on because he didn't want to be kicked, throwing himself forward against him, managing to wrap his arms around him, smashing him against the floor while he kicked uselessly.

"Calm down! _Calm down_! What's your problem? I fucking helped you, you bastard!" he hollered, yanking his head back when teeth came too close to him.

The other man's face was red with rage and he was cursing up a storm in another language, throwing his body violently. But Ace was comfortable with wrestling, spinning his hips to sit on his knees aside of him to avoid being kicked, and using the weight of his upper body to continue to pin Sanji down. Shifting his hold just slightly, he was able to twist one of his arms underneath Sanji's, bringing it up and over his shoulder, his palm and fingers comfortably closing the distance to hold onto his neck. Once Sanji shifted to that, spinning on his back to draw his leg up to knee him, Ace continued to slide around his head, kicking both knees underneath Sanji and then yanking his back against his front. He pressed his head against the other man's, and then slipped his other arm around his neck, holding onto him with a rear naked choke that had Sanji trapped against Ace's knees and his superior upper body strength.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you, but I am going to stop you from hurting me," Ace said quietly, as if soothing an angry animal. He tightened his grip as Sanji bucked and pulled, but he was breathless now, caught tight. His entire body was shaking, and Ace loosened his arms just slightly so he could breathe easier. He waited for several moments, glancing over to see if Kidd was moving yet, and then felt Sanji start to relax against him.

"What kind of move was that?" he asked shakily.

"A little bit of wrestling, and some unnamed martial art I picked up a while back," Ace answered casually. "It's amazing with close fighting. I've taken out a bunch of guys with it."

"I _hate_ it."

Ace laughed softly, managing to pet his sweaty head with one hand. "Are you cool, now? Can we talk? Look, I took that guy out for you, but it probably won't last long. I need you to start thinking clearly."

Sanji said nothing for a moments. Ace could feel the shaking start to subside, so he slowly started to relax his grip, pushing his knees out from underneath Sanji's armpits to the length of his ribcage. It was a casual position but he could still maneuver into another lock if he had to. "We're on the same team. While you were sleeping, I took out the rest of the crew."

"Is this just a trick?"

"Nope. You've got some balls, man! Impersonating a crewmember and hitching a ride on the express train to hell! Don't you know what's happening here? It's a huge job interview between hunters, the Marines, and the Donquixote family from the East."

He felt the tension in Sanji's body increase, heard the sharp intake of breath. "You know them?"

"It sounds…intense," Sanji admitted slowly, swallowing hard. _They're here_! was all he thought. He couldn't help but start to sweat, anxiety causing his entire frame to shake. He almost felt mindless with fear, breathing harshly as bad memory came back. Ace's hold grew stronger over his shoulder, the lock registering for a moment, forcing him to focus on the present once more.

"Slow it down, all right? You're giving yourself a heart attack. I take it you're familiar with the process. Anyway, it's really a huge surprise that I'd run into one of Luffy's friends on a train like this – what were you guys doing at the compound?"

Sanji twisted his head to look back at him with surprise. "You know Luffy?"

"Aw, that's really hurtful," Ace said glumly. "You guys didn't know about me? What a little wretch. He's my little brother…stepbrother. But brother, nonetheless. I began working undercover just to keep his ass out of trouble. He makes me worry too much, damn it. As such, since you're one of his friends, I'll watch out for you, too. So that puts us on the same team."

"How can I trust that?"

"I haven't killed you, yet. Now, get up. We need to get moving before that big guy starts waking up."

Untangling himself from Sanji, Ace rose from the floor, kicking aside one of the metal boxes and regretting it immediately. He hopped in one place holding his foot while Sanji rose shakily, feeling weak. His head throbbed with intense pain, his cheek swollen and hard. He touched it, feeling the abnormal swelling there. Still a little groggy, he then looked at Ace with a start.

"You said that you took care of the crew?"

"Yeah. I threw them off some minutes back. Why?"

"Who is driving this thing?"

"Don't…don't you know how?"

"NO!"

Ace gaped at him for a few moments, horror reflecting on Sanji's face. Both of them left the compartment to make their way to the engine, peering out the front with some conflict.

"If nothing's added to the stove, then it should start slowing down, right? Loguetown has a bunch of hills, we'll just use that to slow us down," Ace said with his hands up in a casual gesture.

"It's still going too fast! This isn't like the other trains!"

"Oh, yeah, I heard it was a prototype. They're designing more like this with more speed in mind. Look how futuristic this panel is!" Ace exclaimed, looking at the lights, shifting gears and tapers that were underneath the window. "I don't even know what all this stuff does! Should I just start pushing buttons?"

Sanji stared at him with some terror, then looked back out the window. The tracks had been visible from the station, and though he'd looked briefly in that direction, he was pretty sure there were some twists and downward hills to negotiate before they got there. "We've got to slow this down! We're going too fast, and I have no idea how to steer this thing!"

"We don't have to steer! It follows the tracks!" Ace pointed out. Sanji bit his lower lip, then hurried back to the tender, noticing that the shovels the workers had been using were abandoned near the coal storage boxes. He looked over the panels, but he had no idea how to read the meters, or what switch to turn or even if there was an emergency braking system. He did see a large lever on the front of the compartment, and with the red lettering and the grip switch, he figured that was it.

"It's the brake! Pull it!" he said, hurrying over to it, Ace joining him. Moments later, the brakes emitted an ear-ringing screech of protest as they locked over the wheels. For a moment, the vehicle wavered, as if off balance, and sparks lit up the night. But the train continued to move forward as coal continued to burn, so Sanji ran back to the tender and started pushing every red button he saw.

"I could've did that!" Ace yelled at him, stilling pulling back on the lever. "I like pushing buttons!"

 _It's like he's an older version of Luffy_! Sanji thought with pure terror. He jabbed in a larger button, then pulled a switch. The air was immediately flooded with steam, both of them dropping quickly to avoid the damaging heat. With none of the windows open, the heat began to build, forcing them to start crawling back to the engine.

"That was a bad idea!" Sanji exclaimed, looking back out the window. His skin then paled, and a cold sweat started to bead upon his brow as Ace frowned at the mess in the tender. " _What's that_?"

"What's what?" Ace turned and looked, freezing in mid-motion. There, miles ahead of them but coming down a short hill, was another train. He gaped, then jumped against the panel with a garbled noise. "There's not supposed to be any trains at this time! What is that? Are you looking at the same thing I am?"

Sanji pushed away from the window, grabbing a hold of the fireaxe that was locked into the wall. He ducked underneath the building smoke in the tender, then propped himself up against the wall. From an awkward position, he swung the axe, breaking through the glass, allowing the smoke and steam to escape. Ace threw himself over the floor and grabbed it from him, shouting, " _Smother_ the flames! They were dying just now!"

Before either of them could move, the door to the tender was torn open with a deafening sound of destruction. Smoke and steam changed direction, being forced out of the car through the open space. Both of them looked over as Kidd walked in, having covered himself with a high collar jacket, face mask on to protect his face from the heat. Around his shoulders were thin shoulder pads that glowed the same blue Sanji had seen earlier. Around his forearms were the metal boxes, the whirr of sound coming from them indicating an intense energy within. Sanji and Ace gaped up at him, unsure of what was happening.

"So, Ace…you're not the lone wolf everyone thought you were," Kidd said, his voice emerging as a mechanized blast of sound from somewhere around his collar. "You've an accomplice…I knew you were behind this! Only _you_ could be so bold as to challenge those looking to take over the new world"

Ace laughed, sweeping a hand through his hair. "Aw, man, thanks!"

"That wasn't a compliment!" Kidd shouted, lifting an arm. All the metal in the room began vibrating in place, then lunging towards him. The fireaxe was ripped from the floor, and various nuts and bolts began to jerk away from the walls. The metal box began to whine with fierce energy, and Ace shoved Sanji, both of them scrambling to their feet.

"Run!" he hollered, leading the way into the main engine as Sanji caught hold of the cab, looking down to detach them from the tender. Ace yanked him in just as the walls and floors around them exploded with the impact of metal. The fireaxe embedded into the wooden floor just inches away from Ace's head. He snatched it up, breaking the axehead from the sturdy wood. Once he was sure the firing had stopped, he was up and charging into the tender, where Kidd had been walking after them.

Ace dropped to one knee, lunging forward to complete the penetration step, catching Kidd around one thigh with both arms. Kidd reached down to grab him, but with a strained yell of effort, Ace pushed him completely off balance as he pushed upward with his legs, completing the single leg take down. Once Kidd was on his back, off balance with the weight of his metal boxes, Ace flung himself under the leg he'd captured to transition to Kidd's side, stepping on the arm closest to him to control the limb, and leaning his own weight onto the man's chest. Kidd lurched to swing his other arm at him, Ace ducking his head into his neck, catching the hit square in the back. With the axe handle, he shoved it lengthwise against Kidd's throat, released one end of it to punch his fist behind Kidd's neck, and gripped the stick from that angle. With his other hand, he thrust his elbow over the stick, catching Kidd's chin briefly, but giving him enough space to land his forearm onto the remaining length of the handle. He twisted his wrist up to grip his own opposite bicep, and sunk the choke with a full press of his upper body into Kidd's.

Kidd struggled as he strangled, kicking and flailing, trying to grab Ace. Pressing his head against Kidd's to stabilize himself, Ace screamed at Sanji to get out of there.

Sanji was amazed at the quick and technical precision Ace had used to ensure that choke against such a bigger opponent. But he scrambled from one end of the tender to the other, racing back to the other compartment. Not that it did any good, because the other train was still coming. He whirled around to judge the distance, eyes wide with terror. Then he looked down at the tracks – there was just no possible way they could jump off safely. The whirring sound of energy began to build again, and he choked in a breath, unsure of what to do, or even where to go. He turned, seeing the ladder that led up to the top of the car, and climbed up that. He hoped to figure out something then.

Ace followed him moments later, sweaty and sooty, and metal exploded around them. The wind velocity there atop of the train was intense, causing them to duck, squinting to alleviate the burn.

"Why are we up here?" he bellowed to Sanji, who was waving his arms at the other train.

"I don't know! Seemed better being in the open area than trapped in an enclosed one!" Sanji yelled back.

Ace hit the train roof with disbelief, turning red as he screamed at him, "We're on _top_ of the fucking train! We're going to die because of you!"

"You threw away all of the crew!" Sanji bellowed back.

"You can't run from me, bitches!" Kidd hollered, climbing up after them. "There's no where for you to go!"

Ace drew out his Colt and began firing at him. Kidd lifted his hands in front of him, the bullets slamming into the metal boxes as the blue lights flared up once more. He was capturing the metal with his contraption, and Ace looked hopeless for a moment before he turned his attention to Sanji.

"You kick low, I'll go high! We have to throw him off!" he shouted.

Sanji looked in the direction of the train. "Will it even matter?"

"Look at the gear he's wearing! If we're smart, we use him as our fucking landing pad! It won't be soft, but we won't die, either!"

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, then nodded. He had nothing else. Then he set himself, preparing to fight as Kidd stalked up to them, lifting his hand to repel the bullets he'd just captured. Ace flung his Colt at the man, who lifted his hand to capture that. In the moment, though, Sanji landed a sweeping kick to the inside of his thigh – Ace followed the movement with a hard tackle to his midsection. As Kidd hit the train top on his back, Sanji drove his heel down to his face, and Ace scrambled to wrestle the heavy weight of Kidd's arms out so that he could get a hold of his neck. Kidd swept his other arm over, catching Ace in the head, forcing Sanji back. Sanji caught Ace before the man could roll off the train, looking back as Kidd started to turn and lift after them. He kicked the man in the face, dropping Ace, Ace hurriedly swinging himself back onto the safety of the roof. He looked down at the ground that passed by, gulping. Then he pushed himself back up and charged as Sanji launched a series of high kicks that had Kidd moving away from them.

: :

"That train is moving too fast!" Shachi cried. "If we slow it down and pull the emergency brake now, we shouldn't have that hard of a crash! We might just lose the engine! I can slow us down so we can jump out, but we'd have to move fast from the crash site just to escape the other cars!"

"We're going to _die_!" Brook exclaimed, covering his eyes as Tony clung to him fearfully. Luffy and Zoro were peering out the window with panic on their faces and Bepo squealed from his compartment in the back.

" _My cool plans_!" Luffy cried in despair. "What's that train doing there? Damn them! They knew we were coming! This is the Admiral's first plan of attack, and it's working!"

Ussop was rocking himself back and forth on the floor, mumbling, obviously incoherent to the world. Law looked at them with incredulous action.

"So this is how it ends? You all paralyzed with fright over this? After you set yourselves up to face off with hundreds of other men in an enclosed compound?" he bellowed angrily. "For fuck's sake! Shachi, run it as fast as you can! There's a transfer rail ahead, it goes to Baltigo! _They're_ going too fast to turn onto this route! At the current rate we're going, we'll overturn right at the transfer trying to brake for them!"

Shachi's friend, who went by the name 'Penguin' rather than revealing his real name, exclaimed, "But we'll _hit_ them! We're going to meet in the middle!"

"As soon as you start turning onto the tracks to Cactus Rock, you speed it up! We'll hit them right off the tracks if they slow down."

"That's a passenger car! There's _passengers_ on it! Innocent men and women!"

"We're a bigger train with more velocity and power to it, and we're not slowing down to accommodate them. Full speed ahead, and pour it on once you reach the turn."

"Okay," Shachi said, grimacing and looking at his partner with a tremble of his chin. They adjusted their speed, the train emitting more steam to the night air as they felt the pickup.

"Are you _crazy_?" Luffy screeched. "We're going to die! We're going to ram them! We're going to roll!"

"We'll be fine."

"It looks like there's people on top of it!" Brook said suddenly, squinting. "It's too dark – I can't see too well! Ussop!"

Sniffling, Ussop rose from the floor, looking out the window. Then he adjusted his glasses over his face and drew back with a gasp. "It is! It's Sanji! It's Sanji atop of that thing!"

"Oh, well, guess we don't have to go to Cactus Rock after all," Luffy said with a relieved sigh.

" _You wanted to do this_!" Ussop screeched at him before leaning against the window, squinting. "He and another guy are fighting a huge monster! He has some sort of a blue thing attached to him – they're losing. I don't think there's anybody else in there! That's a Marine prototype express train, anyway!"

"Oh, that's why you didn't care if we rammed them," Penguin said to Law with relief. "You knew they were Marines."

" _Feh_."

"He wasn't even looking at it as closely as we were!" Zoro yelled at him, Penguin and Shachi wincing at the same time as they worked to add speed. " _Now_ how are we going to go after that asshole? He's going the other way!"

Luffy immediately looked at Law, eyes gleaming. " _Now_ it's time for your horse!"

Law looked back at Bepo, who tossed his head with a protest. "Damn it."

"You guys! Slow the train down after they go by – then follow us! Ussop, damn you, we need that fifty cal, up just in case! Set it up! From the coolest angle possible! You can do it, I believe in you!" Luffy ordered, thumbs up. "Tony! I need some snacks, buddy! The red ones, please! Zoro, make sure everyone gets there, intact! I'm counting on you to make sure we have all our numbers by the time we go to Baltigo! Brook, I need an uplifting beat! _Everyone_! Do your best! We've been waiting for this moment!"

"What 'moment'?" Zoro asked with irritation, as Tony rummaged in his backpack to hand Luffy some hard candy and Brook played some dramatic music on his viola.

"For the horse!" Luffy said, serious expression on while he posed heroically, fitting his hat on atop of his head.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I'm finally getting sleepy.

 **Snowflake97:** **:D**

 **Part Five**

Ace grabbed Kidd's leg, swinging between them onto his back. He then wrapped his leg over Kidd's, and used the other to push the inside of Kidd's other leg, effectively knocking down the man. Sanji added to the force with a chest kick that nearly had him sailing over the edge, grabbing onto Kidd's shoulder at the last second. Using the scramble, Ace reached out and grabbed a hold of Kidd's sleeve, then pulled himself up. Once in the side-mount, he kicked out his legs in a sprawl, then reached for an outside underhook over Kidd's shoulder as Sanji returned to the battle to distract him.

Kidd punched out with one arm to swat Sanji aside, rising up to stand, but Ace held onto his arm strong. He switched from the side mount to curling his legs over Kidd's arm, locking the elbow into his hips tight. Kidd froze once he realized what was happening to his arm, twisting and pulling in frantic effort to keep Ace from breaking it. Sanji leapt up to kick him with a strong roundhouse. Kidd felt the sting from his jawline down, and with a maniacal scream, activated the magnets of his gloves. The metal around them rocked, nuts and bolts pulling away from the support as he struggled to get out of Ace's armbar.

He twisted down onto his stomach in another escape attempt, nearly sliding off the roof. He was then horrified when Sanji started pushing him towards the edge. Once he realized what the two were doing, Kidd slapped his other hand down onto the rooftop, where it helped him cling to the train.

"That's fucked up!" he bellowed over the sound of the wind, and the sound of an incoming train. With a start he looked over his shoulder to seeing a train coming to meet them, just meters away from the transfer rail. With the speed they were going, Kidd figured they were in for a collision. With a panicked scramble, he climbed back over the edge and swept through Ace and Sanji with a mighty tackle in order to get away from the point of impact. He caught himself with placing his hands over the rooftop, swinging his legs with the momentum. He caught Ace with a sweeping kick as Ace stood, Sanji ducking quickly, and the man flew toward the other side of the roof, closest to the connection point between trains. If anything, the other vehicle was speeding up now that it was riding the curve of the transfer, and Kidd stared incredulously at the conductor's window, panicking for a brief moment as he feared the trains hitting each other. Sanji whirled, pushing himself outward with his hands outstretched, and caught Ace's arms just in time.

Ace's weight carried him halfway over the edge, the man slamming down into the sidewall of the car. Sanji pushed the very toes of his shoes into the roof edge, catching the tread, and held tightly onto Ace, hearing the incoming presence of the other train coming at them. With immense panic and fear, he looked up, Ace letting loose with a terrified scream as his crushing grew imminent. Self preservation had him banging up against the side of the train, searching for any sort of foothold to help hold him flat, and fit the narrow edges of his boots against the window frames.

The other train sped past them, connecting to the rails just seconds after theirs passed, its own speed velocity tugging both men with it. Their back cab slapped theirs, causing the car to rattle with upsetting force on the tracks. For a moment, it seemed as if the wheels would jump before the weight settled and their train continued on. Sanji nearly slipped as he struggled with every inch of himself to stay rooted to the rooftop.

Kidd was perched on the other side, ready to jump when he realized the narrow miss. The other train sped on down the tracks they'd just left behind, their brakes screeching through the night. He held a hand over his heart, breathing shallowly. His mind raced – he hadn't even _known_ there was another train, hadn't been aware of the danger it'd presented. As he gasped for air and fought to stop his racing heart, he looked over at the other two. Sanji had just barely managed to pull Ace up enough for the other man to pull himself up. With a roar of outrage, Kidd rose on shaky legs, crouching low against the wind that threatened to tip them over.

"You knew that fuckin' train was coming? Why didn't you say anything?" he bellowed in outrage.

"Slipped my mind!" Ace said, squeaking out the words as he slumped over the roof, having been scared witless by the near collision.

Kidd charged once more, Sanji throwing himself into a handstand, pushing upward with both feet against Kidd's chin. Kidd caught himself from stumbling backward, slapping the side of the train with his magnetic force to hold him in place. He then lunged forward, Sanji avoiding his reach with a leap to the side, Ace finally getting back up to join the fray.

As Kidd bent down to grab at Ace, Sanji leapt up with a spinning heel hook that caught him in the side of the face. Kidd reacted to the fall by snatching his leg, hitting the rooftop on his side. He pulled Sanji off balance, jerking him close, Sanji kicking repeatedly at him with his other heel. He used the heavy metal gloves to block them.

"Why don't you use your fucking hands, man?" Kidd yelled out, pulling at his clothes to yank him in close, looking over at Ace as he charged in. Kidd held up at arm over his face to avoid being hit or kicked, still clutching Sanji by his shirt, pulling him closer against his body. Sanji struggled against him, reacting with horror as Kidd then rolled over him, crushing him underneath him as he reached out to grab hold of Ace's leg. Sanji couldn't move, digging his fingernails into the rooftop as he struggled to crawl out from the heavier man. It felt as if his lungs were being squished right into the metal, and as Kidd kept him pinned, he wrapped his fingers firmly around Ace's ankle, and began pulling him in.

"So, you want to fight, huh?" Ace asked, allowing the movement before grabbing hold of Kidd's wrist, just above the glove, and flung himself to the roof.

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Kidd snarled, alarmed as Ace's legs snaked around his arm and shoulder, feet settling against his face. "What are you, a fucking snake? _Gah_! Let go!"

Once he felt his elbow going into an unnatural direction, Ace heaving with all his strength to dislocate the man's arm from the joint up, Kidd reacted with a twist, freeing Sanji from underneath him. Sanji used the movement to whip one leg up and over his own back and head, catching Kidd in the face. Kidd sneezed, Sanji repeated the movement again, twisting away from him as blood spurted over the redhead's face.

Kidd moved to scream in outrage when the entire train rattled with such force that all three of them scrambled to hold onto the roof. Looking up, they realized the train had just left the tracks, unable to negotiate a turn through a steep hill. For a few moments the crash into the dirt was a rattle and a bump, but suddenly the trajectory changed. The car jackknifed, swinging wildly as the engine twisted in the dirt, wheels turning up to face the night sky. Gravity took over, pulling the weight of its motion down the incline with a dusty display.

Kidd screamed in surprise, unable to judge the area within the darkness, the movement too fierce and too rocky, but he slapped his hands on the metal to brace himself. Looking up, he watched as Ace tackled Sanji off the rooftop – flying in the opposite direction of the crash. Kidd felt the car start to move, turning dangerously, and realized he needed to move as well. With a jerk of his body, he flung himself as high as possible, the deafening crashing noise roaring throughout the entire area.

: :

Ace braced himself, but he knew it wasn't going to be a gentle landing. They both slammed into two men and a horse, the animal squealing as it bore the weight of the action. All four of them went sprawling, the horse rolling head over hooves. The incline took over at that point, dust flying from the rolling train and from their own actions. Over the creak and crash of metal meeting rock and dirt, came the roar of metal bending and glass shattering, the passenger car twisting and breaking into pieces within.

He groaned noisily, every part of him feeling sore and broken, dirt lodged in his nose. Sneezing repeatedly, he lifted his head, clutching the dirt within his fingers as he struggled to orient himself to his new surroundings. He figured he'd eventually lose the sway of the train, the ground somewhat unsteady underneath his body. He heard the noise around him, the other guys groaning and making complaints as they put themselves back together. The horse climbed to its hooves with similar protest, limping slightly as it darted away.

Looking around, Ace was annoyed to being unable to see much. It was too dark out, the moon not providing enough light to see details, so the dust in the area was almost like a thick fog. The settling sounds of the train continued to ring out, echoing on some high rock walls to the north.

"That was a shitty gamble! You could've seriously hurt someone!" Law snapped, rising from the dirt on unsteady legs. "I thought you'd be aiming for that water hole, over there!"

"I saw it at the last second, and honestly? I thought about it, but I can't swim," Ace told him, brushing himself off as he stood. Without a shirt, he felt like every part of his skin had been shredded. "I am satisfied with my choice, now."

Luffy laughed, pushing himself up slowly, then rolling over onto his back with a pained wince. " _Still_? You'd think after all this time you could at least doggy paddle!"

"How's _your_ swimming, coming along? Any better?" Ace asked him cheerfully as Sanji lifted his head with a wince, rolling over to hold onto the back of his neck with both hands.

"Nah, it's just as bad as yours, dummy."

Ace pulled his brother from the dirt, then hugged him tightly. "You little cretin! Look at me, having to put my neck out there just for you!"

"Thanks for your efforts, Ace! I don't know how you did it, but you brought my friend back to me!" Luffy said happily, releasing Ace and then gingerly hugging Sanji as the other man rose from the dirt on shaky legs. "Sanji, you rascal, you had me worried there for a bit! I thought you were going to make me go in there after you!"

"Not like that," Sanji grunted, wincing as Luffy squeezed him.

"Who's that?" Law asked, pointing towards the wreckage. He'd lost his hat somewhere, and he fiddled with his hair for a few moments before seeing the shadow moving. "Why is he glowing like that?"

Ace whirled, hearing the gathering of energy, Sanji looking back in surprise as well. The fallen train shifted in the dirt, tilting noisily as Kidd pushed through them using his gloves. The repelling nature of them caused metal to bend slightly, causing the noise. He was breathing heavily, dragging one leg, his collar and gloves illuminating his form.

"He's still alive! _Damn_ ," Ace muttered. "Those things he's wearing, they attract and repel metal. No shooting. He's built like a fucking ox, too!"

"He's a big boy!" Luffy said, his tone of voice suggesting a wide grin. "Look at that shape! Men can only _dream_ of being that huge!"

" _That's_ why you tossed yourselves off," Kidd muttered, spitting blood onto the dirt as he continued to approach. "Wait til I tell the others what you've been up to, Ace. They're going to crack down on you and your stupid friends the moment the words leave my mouth."

"That's my brother, stranger, and I don't take too kindly to people threatening my family," Luffy warned. "Even if he sometimes deserves it for the shit he does."

"Hey!" Ace exclaimed, giving him a wounded expression.

"Look at this! You're puny! You're the size of my goddamn foot, you little child!" Kidd exclaimed, shoulders heaving with an incredulous laugh. "Two of you couldn't do shit to me – let's see what four of you can do!"

"Those things do stuff with metal, huh?" Luffy asked, studying the man as much as he was able. The glow from his gloves and collar provided just a small taste of what he could see, but he figured he'd seen enough. He crouched, patting the dirt around him, fingers curling. "You ready, Sanji?"

"I just caught my breath!" Sanji complained, but he brushed himself off and gave a harsh exhale. "Ready."

Kidd lifted his gloves, energy whirring, illuminating the fact that his fists were covered with small pieces of metal. "Dodge _this_ , suckers!"

Luffy straightened and hurled a good sized rock in his direction, catching Kidd in the right eye. The bigger man stumbled back with a surprised cry of pain, Luffy then charging forward with a roar. He leapt up, performing a switch kick with his sandals catching Kidd in the chin – not even a moment later, Sanji followed through with a higher leap and a roundhouse that caught Kidd's busted nose with his shinbone.

As he stumbled, Luffy slammed his shoulders into the man's moving legs, reaching down to grab his ankle, lifting that foot up. Sanji righted himself to throw a lunging knee into Kidd's stabilizing leg, causing the muscle to go limp, Kidd flopping over with an enraged roar. The moment he touched dirt, Luffy flung himself backward, his elbow catching Kidd's face. The moment the impact registered, Sanji followed through with a hard heel into Kidd's exposed knee, the bone cracking inward with startling noise. He'd aimed particularly for the leg he'd seen him drag, Luffy purposely grabbing hold of his stronger one to assist him.

Kidd howled, jerking up to protect himself, lifting the hand closest to them. Sanji jerked Luffy off his feet and shoved him behind the nearby cab of the train as metal shot out, blasting through the dirt and wreckage around them. Ace and Law quickly ran for cover, Kidd howling with rage. He started attracting metal to him once more, rising on one leg, the other clearly useless.

" _I'm going to fuck you all up_!" he screamed, the desert ringing with his vow.

He looked up just in time to see Luffy jumping at him from the train, his linen shirt bunched and rolled into rope form, Sanji coming in low with a hard thrust kick on his damaged leg. To alleviate the pain, Kidd stumbled right into Luffy's planned path, stumbling wildly away from the train. Luffy wrapped the shirt around Kidd's face, settling himself on his back with a roar of strength. Sanji followed with hard, angled kicks to the thigh that made Kidd follow a path only those two could see. He then flipped upward out of the way as both Ace and Law swept in with combined tackles, pushing the huge man in the direction Luffy was forcing Kidd into.

The resounding splash of water caused Kidd to gasp out in surprise, the shirt sticking to his face once wet. Realizing what was happening, he kicked and thrashed, the metal in his gloves growing heavier with the combined weight of water. Though he was only in shallow depths, the fact that the shirt was sticking to him, preventing him from breathing in air, caused him to panic. Luffy held on tight, tightening his grip as Kidd flailed.

Sanji raced in, grabbing a hold of his gloves, tearing them off one by one. He tossed them as far as he could into the water hole, then pulled at his collar. He didn't want to take the chance that they were waterproof. Then he stepped back as he watched Luffy drown the man, Ace walking in halfway to check on his brother.

When Kidd finally collapsed, Luffy pulled away from him, snapping his shirt in the air. He heaved a relieved breath, gesturing at Sanji. Sanji hit Law in the shoulder, muttering, "Help me."

As both of them pulled Kidd from the water, Ace looked at Luffy with approval, then cleared his throat, saying sternly, "We wore him down for you."

"You did! _Thanks_!" Luffy said with a laugh. "He's a huge guy! I didn't think I was going to land that first kick!"

Law gave Sanji an incredulous look as he heard Kidd breathing, water clearly in his lungs as they settled him on the muddy rim of the hole. "Why not just finish the job?"

"Luffy doesn't kill like we do," Sanji told him. "It's up to him, now."

"That's stupid!"

"Listen to that," Sanji indicated the watery intake of breath, "and if we leave here, who's to say he'll survive anyway? Just humor the kid."

Law stared at him incredulous. "All of you are slow in the head. Eliminate your enemies before they have a chance for retaliation!"

Sanji looked back at him, hearing Ace and Luffy re-enact some of their recent moves. "So why didn't you follow your own advice?"

Those words threw the older man off, and he frowned, then looked away, looking for Bepo. Sanji watched him walk away, crossing his arms over his chest. Then he looked at the train wreckage with a low whistle. Seeing the moon in the position that it was told him it was still early – morning wasn't for a few hours away. He felt exhausted then, glancing at Kidd warily, then taking a few moments to shift him onto his back. He hoped the water in his lungs drowned him by morning.

: :

Law was annoyed when he couldn't find Bepo. He hoped the horse wasn't seriously injured, hoping that he'd only run away to recover from the unwelcome landing and the noise. The others were making a fire, figuring they'd wait for their train to come back. He could hear Luffy describing it to both Ace and Sanji, both of whom sounded very impressed.

They'd chosen a spot against the rocks nearby, to protect them if any fuel source from the crash happened to explode, and to keep an eye on the body lying near the waterhole in the distance. The fire Ace made provided a soft glow against the rocks, casting their shadows, and Luffy shared with them his candy he'd gained from Tony. Law made his way back, hoping Bepo would return, soon. The horse was still carrying his rifle and his supplies.

As Ace laughed at one of Luffy's tales, both of them clearly more interested in catching up with each other than worrying about their rescue, Sanji watched Law approach. He waited for the other man to sit before saying, "I'm surprised to see you here. Thank you."

"I've my own reasons for it," Law answered sullenly. "'No' isn't something you guys understand too well."

With an embarrassed air, Sanji crossed one ankle over one knee, rotating that joint with nervous action. But then he snapped out of that moment, leaning over with a devilish smile to say low, "You didn't do it to be a hero for a man in distress?"

"No. What happened was a lesson learned."

"But there aren't any regrets, right?" Sanji said with a smirk, tilting his head to force Law to focus in on him as the other two men grew animated over one of Ace's tales. "All I thought about those nights in that cell was your dick. We should go get ourselves reacquainted, under the guise of looking for your horse."

Law looked at him, his eyes taking in the bruising on Sanji's face, the ruffled hair, the obvious lack of sleep on a face that had been so appealing, days earlier. There were dirt and soot smudges visible on his forehead, and he reached out, dragging a fingertip atop of one to show him the dirt. "Kinda hard to take you seriously like that."

Sanji scowled at him, aware that he looked a sight, but he tossed his dirty hair out of his eyes and huffed as he switched legs.

"Besides, I've got some morals. How about you get in touch with yours?" Law asked him, leaning his head back against some rock in an effort to get comfortable, tilting his hat down to cover his eyes.

"It's not like I held a gun to your head. Yeah, I was really pushy, but in the end, you wanted it as much as I do." Sanji waited a few beats before adding, "Three times."

"Maybe I did, but that's all I was expecting. I didn't expect all _this_ ," Law said with a gesture at the train. "I expected to go back living my life out where I wasn't so involved with noisy kids."

"I do appreciate that you helped, though," Sanji said with a murmur. "Don't get me wrong on that."

"I've got my reasons," Law mumbled, thinking of Brook's warning.

Sanji leaned over, shifting his hat up. He leaned in as far as he was able, to brush his nose against the older man's. "Can I kiss you, then? As a gesture of my appreciation?"

Law looked at him suspiciously for a few moments, then covered his face back up with his hat. " _No_."

"Doesn't a prince deserve a kiss from the grateful?"

"You're so noisy – I'll take your silence as appreciation, thanks."

Sanji sat back with a grumble, and Law could've sworn he was muttering about how similar he was with Zoro.

But then Ace was crawling over, hugging himself with a pitiful look.

"Hey, friend, I know it's a little weird, but can you lend me your coat?" Ace asked Law, using his most piteous tone. "I'm cold."

Law removed his hat again and looked at him with alarm, then took in his presentation, almost as if he were looking at him for the first time. "Well, that's what you get for wearing something like that! Where's the rest of your shirt?"

"I wasn't even planning on being out in the cold! I was supposed to be on a train! And besides, I've never gotten complaints on what I'm wearing. The powers behind it throw off every one of my opponents and works well on the ladies…" Ace preened, flexing his shoulders and chest, Luffy reaching out to feel him with a delighted face.

"Fan service," Sanji said with a chuckle, looking down at Luffy as the teen then rested his head on his thigh.

"You should see how they act when I come into town! But, seriously, c'mon man, you're wearing tons of clothes, let me borrow your jacket! Please!"

"No, I'm cold."

"You're wearing like five shirts under there! And gloves! C'mon, man!"

"I'm glad you're back, Sanji. We missed you," Luffy told him, smiling up at him cheerfully. "Tony was really worried. And Zoro cut up a lot of people. And Brook can't sing and play as good when you're gone."

"Well, sorry for that," Sanji said easily, ruffling his hair. "It won't happen again."

"That's right! No more wandering off! We've got plans, and we're going to attain them!"

"Yes, we are. Now, get off me. I'm hurt," Sanji then said, pushing him away as Law handed Ace his jacket with a grumble. Ace quickly pulled it on and hurried back to the other side of the fire, Luffy following happily. As Law resumed his relaxed position with his arms tightly crossed over him, Sanji looked over with a lifting grin. "I can keep you warm, y'know."

He then scowled as Law drew a line between them in the dirt. "You're so childish."

Law ignored the look, pushing his hat brim over his eyes and folding his hands behind his head. "Our ride should be moving on their way, you should take a nap. I could stow rocks in those bags, of yours."

"Like yours are any better," Sanji grumbled, moving closer to the rock, pressing his back up against it and trying to get comfortable. "I get it, now. You're only in it for my beauty. Once it's gone, you'll be looking elsewhere for someone young and beautiful. Typical middle aged asshole."

After he got comfortable, he heard Law shift. "Who's 'middle aged'?"

Sanji chuckled, then tucked his hands underneath his undamaged cheek, and decided to go to sleep.

Law woke up some time later. He noticed that the fire had died down, and that both Ace and Luffy were snoring in tandem. Luffy was curled up against his older brother, and Ace was hugging the jacket tight around himself. He wasn't sure what woke him up, but he glanced around the area, noting the body lying near the waterhole. The sky was a little brighter than it was earlier, the light of the sun starting to color the mountain line in the distance. He did hear the sounds of a train in the distance, and was relieved. Bepo stood near some bushes nearby, chewing on some of the blossoms that bloomed there, dragging the reins as he stomped the ground.

He wasn't sure what he heard. As he resettled against the rock with discomfort in his shoulders, he heard it again. It was coming from the man next to him. He looked down to seeing Sanji curled up in a fetal position, giving repressed noises. He was obviously in the throes of a nightmare, and Law reached over to wake him up. Luffy stopped him with a rise and a mutter, waving him off before he could touch him.

In a light voice, Luffy sleepily encouraged Sanji to wake up. He didn't touch him, leaning in close so Sanji could hear him. Then he blew on his face a few times, causing the older man to grumble about his breath, turning his head away. Luffy patted his shoulder then, crawling back to Ace before flopping back into his sleeping position. He resumed snoring moments later, and Sanji blearily picked himself up from the ground, shuffling away from the group. Law watched him leave, then looked back at the others. He gave the man a few minutes to get himself together, then got up to follow after him, seeing that the other two weren't moving any time soon.

Bepo followed with a light whine, dragging his reins. Once Law looked him over, finding no obvious injury but knowing he had to be feeling sore from the night's action, he rummaged through his saddle bags for his canteen, along with some jerky. Then he found Sanji sitting on some rocks nearby, sullenly watching their train come their way, still some miles away. He offered the other man his canteen, and Sanji took it with silent thanks.

He sat down next to him as Sanji took a long drink of water, exhaling with relief afterward. Law started to offer him jerky when Sanji pushed that aside, forcing himself onto his lap and removing his hat to start kissing his neck and ears with urgent action. He froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, but Sanji's actions grew more demanding, reaching between them to undo his jeans.

"How's that going to make you feel better?" he asked quietly.

"It's _my_ fucking decision," Sanji muttered against his ear before biting his neck. There was so much desperation and need in that answer that Law wasn't sure how to respond to it. But he knew what nightmares did to a person, and he knew what it felt like to be consumed in its aftermath. He just wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do.

He held onto Sanji's hands, pulling them away from his clothes.

"Am I that undesirable to you? Now that you know where I'm from? Is that why you won't let me touch you, now? You had no problems with it the other night!" Sanji said with immense frustration, his skin reddening with emotion.

"No. That isn't the problem at all. The only problem being is that you're doing this for the wrong reason. Even if I gave it to you now, you'd still feel unsatisfied. You'd still be looking for control you don't have."

After a few moments, Sanji slumped over him, pressing his face against his neck with a shaky curse. Releasing his hands, Law drew him close, slipping his own hands underneath his shirt and stroking his back, feeling the tremble of Sanji's body underneath his palms. The feel of his slim back, the sensation of muscle under his palms, the telltale indication of various bumps and scrapes from the battle made Law want to remove his gloves to feel more of it. But as much as his own body was interested, he couldn't make himself give what Sanji wanted.

"You're a problematic man, aren't you?" he asked, Sanji turning his face up against his jawline, his hair rubbing against him.

"I don't know how else to fix it," Sanji mumbled.

"All right."

Sanji pressed against him for a few moments, clutching his shoulders, keeping his head down. When he finally lifted his face, his eyes were red and the bruises were strong, and it took all of Law's control to not try and fix every problem he had. Brook's warning came back to him, and he looked away with a wince, Sanji mistaking the expression for something else. He then pushed away from him, straightening his clothes and stalking off.

Law took those few moments to compose himself, running his fingers through his hair with agitated action. He heard Sanji waking up the other two men, the train's horn sounding out with a cheerful noise. He exhaled heavily and looked at his horse, who was looking at him with slow blinking eyes, as if quietly judging him. Then he rose from his seated position and fixed his clothes, making sure he looked presentable as he heard Ace complaining about having to wake up.

: :

Baltigo was a larger town – outfitted with convenience to cater to their travelers. The hotels were closer to the train station, as well as bars and stores. The townspeople were catering with food stands, convenience stalls set up to attract the eye of anyone passing through. There were law officers on horse back that patrolled the roads, and the east section of Baltigo catered to those with animals.

While the teens and the two adults looked for a reasonable hotel, Law and the two men walked Bepo to a veterinarian. The horse was upset when the doctor told Law that there was a couple horses that had yet to be seen, the wait indicated for at least a half a day. Law agreed to the terms, paid the doctor half in advance, and they left the office with Bepo screeching after them with a toss of his head.

"Are we going to stay for their phase two?" Shachi asked him, yawning heavily. "Now that they have their friend back, I don't think they need to storm the compound. Which is unfortunate."

"I kinda want to see it through," Penguin agreed, adjusting his hat with a yawn. "I still want it to happen."

"With Ussop fixing the fifty cal onto the train's back caboose, we should have no problems acting as back up to a getaway ride out of town."

"We blew up the tracks, by the way, near the transfer rail," Penguin told Law, who was slowly scowling, wondering why the men continued to attach themselves to him. "That way, it'll make it a little more difficult for them guys to ride after us. This gives the Strawhats more time to gather their crew together."

"Sheriff Smoker even gave us some TNT," Shachi said. "I don't know what they were planning, but that Tashigi had a lot of it loaded."

"Maybe they'll blow Loguetown, too," Penguin said, the trio of them pausing at a street corner. He yawned heavily.

They continued to talk between themselves, Law wearing a frown as they followed him from store to store, where he picked out small items. By the time they met with Brook near a three story hotel with a bar and restaurant attached, the pair were carrying those items and still holding a conversation between them.

"After that stunt last night, don't let your guard down," Law then grumbled, annoyed when the hotel clerk insisted on checking in his long rifle at the desk. The no weapons policy was in effect, and both men with him turned in their Colts.

After receiving their tickets, Penguin said, "We're on high alert! Well, after a nap. We're nighttime owls, we were hoping for some sleep, first. I think everyone has that idea because they were arguing about beds, earlier."

"Of course," Law said, thinking about their bartime activities. "Please get all the rest you need. You've done very well. I've never seen a locomotive handled the way you two did."

Both of them looked absolutely delighted with the praise. Brook handed them a key, indicating the stairs nearby.

"Ace and Luffy wandered off to eat," Brook said heavily. "I'm sure Zoro and Sanji are…sleeping. Ussop went looking for supplies, and Tony is sleeping. I'm sure it's a good idea to rest while we have it. Our friends should be coming into town later in the evening."

"'Sleeping', huh?"

Brook gave him an apologetic look. "There is an understanding between them. I warned you not to expect any reciprocation from that man."

"I didn't say anything about having any feelings for him," Law muttered, following after Shachi and Penguin.

"I didn't say you did," Brook said with a frown.

: :

Later that night, the bar was in full swing. Brook was on the piano, Sanji once again at the forefront with his accompaniment. Law sat at the bar with an annoyed expression, Tony next to him with a huge mug of milk and ice cream, Shachi and Penguin at the gambling tables, Ace and Luffy eating nearby, the kitchen staff bringing out as much as they could, and Zoro sleeping near the piano. Ussop was sitting on top of the bar counter, holding his slingshot and singing along with a tambourine he'd found. The ladies of the bar were mingling cheerfully, and those that were enjoying the liveliness of the bar either sang along with a familiar song or chose their own vice to chase. The bartenders were overwhelmed, and the doorway was spilling out with people wanting to join in. The owner of the establishment was gleeful over the huge draw of business, encouraging everybody to enjoy themselves.

Tony sang along to a particularly raunchy song, shouting out all the dirty parts with glee. Law looked back at the others, Shachi crowing with excitement as he pulled in an armful of poker chips and gold, Penguin and the others scowling. Ace had fallen asleep at the table, Luffy eating around him, the kitchen staff waiting nearby.

Sanji moved about, smoking and drinking, occasionally waking Zoro up to keep him on watch. He'd dance with a few of the ladies of the night as they mingled with the tables, their laughter loud as he lead them through a jig or two. Brook was joined by a couple of men with violins, switching from upbeat tunes to fast jingles that had some of the men dancing at their tables. It made Law incredulous to see the blond in such spirits after the breakdown this morning. It was as if he were looking at an entirely new person.

Despite the obvious battle wounds and exhaustion, he was just as spirited the first night Law saw him. And he could barely take his eyes off him. Resting his chin upon his hand, he watched the man spin and dip a woman in green, the woman laughing merrily as Brook tapped out a song that had most of the men chiming in. Tony finished his ice cream and then clapped along, the bartender replacing his milk with apple juice.

"Don't you know any songs, Law?" Tony asked him merrily, rocking his small body along with the song. Men cheered loudly, mugs in the air, and then Brook began yodeling, switching to a tale from the South.

"Nope."

"You don't talk a lot, do you? You should stop looking so scary and start smiling, a little. The guys relax when you do!"

"This is me caring about it."

Tony merely laughed. "It's too good of a night to feel prickly about things! Sanji's back, our friends will be joining us, soon, and it's all okay! There's nothing to be sad or angry about! It's time to have fun!"

"I suppose," Law murmured, rimming his glass of whiskey with a finger and turning back to the bar. There were a couple of angry shouts and the sound of glass shattering, Tony jerking down, but then the crowd cheered again, Tony straightening up with a shrill whistle.

"Are you worried about Bepo? I'm sure he'll be okay! He's a very sturdy horse," Tony continued, sipping at his juice. He hastily set his cup aside and then hopped off the counter. "Luffy! I want some!"

Seeing that the teen was being served ice cream and cake had caused the boy to leave him, and Law turned away once the kid reached Luffy's side. Ace woke up at that moment, pushing Luffy aside to take the treat away, a shouting match ensuing.

"At least watch me if you're going to be here," Sanji said, startling him with a tight hug against his back. Law jerked away from him with a startled expression, then elbowed him away when Sanji tried to hug him again. He was clearly drunk, unsteady on his feet, but he turned away from Law and held onto another man walking by, the man only laughing as he led Sanji away in a dance that matched Brook's tempo.

Law watched him go, Sanji trading partners with another woman, and soon there were dancers mingling throughout the bar. A man in the corner table grew angry as his drink spilled from a dancer's aggressive spin, and as he stood to punch, Ussop shot him with ice loaded onto his slingshot, the man clasping his back with a pained shouted. Then he paused when he saw that Zoro was awake and watching him, the patron sitting slowly as the dancers continued on with a relieved expression.

Law found Sanji drinking out of someone's wineglass, the man looking at him with obvious admiration. And that's when Law felt his face shifting into something heavy, because he knew he shouldn't feel anything about the man, but he had to admit how angry he was feeling. He looked back at his glass and glared at it, hand covering half of his cheek as he leaned on that elbow. Tony climbed back up to his previous perch, his face messy with icing, and he drank the rest of his apple juice with gusto.

"You're going to have an upset stomach," he said unnecessarily.

"I know! I know! Last one!"

Shachi called out again with glee, winning another round that had a couple of the gamblers rising up from the table with agitation. Law looked over in time to see one of them grabbing Shachi's sleeve to look for any hidden cards, Penguin reaching over to rescue his friend. Before Law could do anything, Ussop shot the offender with ice, causing him to stumble back, not expecting the action. He growled, snatching a beer bottle and slamming it into the edge of the table to charge at Ussop. Ussop squealed and scrambled over the bar, but before the man could reach him, Zoro's two swords were out and slicing through the man's outstretched arm, the limb falling behind him as the man screeched with pain. People turned over to look, then shuffled away as the man dropped, clutching his missing arm. Zoro flicked his swords free of blood before sheathing them.

Then he eyed the man's friend, who backed away, scrambling for the back exit. Law finished his drink as a couple of the cowboys in the table nearby proceeded to drag the man and his detached arm out the crowded front door. Brook continued singing, yodeling once more, and Sanji started a well known cowboy's lament to keep the party rolling. The confrontation was forgotten, Ussop climbing back onto the counter with a "Thanks!" to his friend, who returned to his table in the corner. Brook handed him a full bottle of alcohol, which Zoro took, flopping back into his chair with a wide yawn.

Tony yawned noisily next to him, looking around with a bleary eye. Then he jumped off the counter, wandering through the crowd to Brook. He proceeded to lay down on the floor behind the tall man, Zoro tossing him his jacket.

Luffy was now sleeping at the table, drooling over the plate he'd cleared. Ace was working on a bottle and chatting up with a pretty lady in blue, who was clearly enamored of the man and doing her best to entice him upstairs.

Law gestured for another drink, figuring there was no point in returning to his room alone. He looked back to see Sanji leaning over a table, that man from earlier saying something to him that made him grin wide, the attraction obvious when he pulled away. It made Law feel angry all over again, the unfamiliar sensation of jealousy and bitterness taking over his previous denial of feeling. Scowling, he snatched the glass of whiskey, nursing it slowly, trying not to look in that direction again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I'm officially ficc'ed out. I've neglected the gym for far too long. How the hell am I supposed to fight a Predator when all I've done is write fanfics? *shows off fanfic reviews to Predator and gets killed*

 **Chic: Thanks! Welcome on board!**

 **Snowflake97: I enjoy writing them!**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **Naghi-tan: Last Facebook status I read of them, they'd listed their relationship as "complicated" XD**

 **Part Six**

Sanji wandered down the hall, carrying the nearly empty bottle with him. The morning sun's rays started to color the night sky, the air cool and stale through the open windows of the hotel. But when it came to him settling down in someone's arms for the night, Zoro had sent him away with a warning, while Tony slept soundly in the his muscled arms, his face sticky with an overabundance of treats. Luffy was passed out on the floor of their room with his arms around his stomach, his brother missing from the fray – Sanji figured he'd given into the pretty girl that had been pestering him all evening. Ussop had passed out with his head hanging over the open window in Brook's room. The tall man was sleeping peacefully, the only one of them in an actual bed.

Sanji decided he needed to talk to the man that had ignored him all evening. It was time he let Law know that he knew his secret. He found the room the other three men were in, and walked in briskly. Shachi was asleep on the floor with a pile of poker chips and cold coins, Penguin with what looked like a small jar of rocks. Sanji stared at them for a few moments, then looked around him, realizing Law was smoking a cigarette near the window, wide awake and dressed to leave.

"You're leaving us?" Sanji asked with some difficulty, then lowered his voice as he walked up to him, setting his bottle down on the nightstand nearby. He indicated for a cigarette as well, taking the one Law was smoking with a disappointed frown.

It drove Sanji crazy when Law didn't bother looking in his direction, too focused on the sleeping world outside the window. "I'm picking up my horse and I'm going home."

"So that's it, huh?" Sanji asked, but a surprising bitterness caused a pile up at the mouth. He dropped ashes out the window, killing the heat with a fingertip. "Shouldn't complain, _at least_ you were there, right?"

"Sleep it off," Law suggested, gesturing at the bed.

"Not yet. I'm still working, I said." Sanji then sat on the floor to kick off the boots that Brook had given him, cigarette held on one side of his mouth. "So, I'm back there, right? When I first saw you, I _knew_ it when I saw you, I recognized this one, I said to myself. I said, 'Sanji, you know that guy'."

He tapped the back of his hand, indicating Law's tattoo. This time, Law looked over at him. Sanji was a mess – his hair was matted behind his ear, where he had swept it. His eyes were barely open, and his skin was shiny with alcohol and sweat. His orange shirt was wide open at the collar, rolled up at the arms – not as revealing as the white shirt, but enough to show off angry scrapes and bruises from the earlier battle. His dress pants were new and as fitted as the last pair. Still a beautiful man.

He looked away, angry with himself.

"I recognized the others, too. _These_ ones. You know, it's not that, it's this place I remember. _Everyone_ in the neighborhood remembers this place. It was just down the street. This gothic, high rise shit with all those fake religious symbols of peace. But it wasn't a place to worship religion, it was supposed to be a hospital."

With a pensive frown, Law glanced at the two men sleeping on the floor. But Penguin was hugging his jar of gold nuggets tightly and Shachi was drooling over some poker chips, both too far gone to hear what was being said. If it wasn't for Brook's warning of Sanji's background, he would've been caught off-guard. But now the curiosity he had been nursing was going to be satisfied, and he waited to hear what was going to come next. It came with an anxious rake tension.

"But not just _anybody_ could stroll up and get their injections and their band aids and have their asses sewed up. No, only people in particular that received service from this so called hospital were family members, workers, paid city officials, and the entire dirt lot they slaughtered on!" Sanji snorted, shaking his head as he blew smoke to the air.

"The first time I went in, I needed stitches. Not _there_ , no, a john thought he could bring a friend. _Okay_? So the guards didn't like that, _I_ didn't like that, but in the end, there was a lot of blood. So who happens to treat me, complaining the entire time? None other than this weird ass doctor with all these weird ass tattoos, not _looking_ like a doctor, but wearing the right stuff. Not only does the bastard _not_ give me any sympathetic attention, he does it _without_ any anesthesia. And fucking tells me to _man up_ because there's worse shit that could happen," Sanji finished with a disgusted look.

"I get that you didn't have a choice, I saw who was posted there the entire time. I remember thinking how expendable we were to them, but they treated _you_ like royalty in there. And now, look at this, years later, I find you hiding in the desert. Obviously not wanting to be recognized. So, what happened, shitty doctor? Not enough coffee breaks?"

Law stared out the window, trying to drum up this particular memory. But he couldn't, because he couldn't remember every single case he'd worked a miracle for. But he remembered the smell of the hospital, and he remembered the watchful eyes of the guards, and many other unpleasant things that happened during his service there. He remembered the pleasure house down the road, treating the workers there with antibiotics, stitches, plaster casts, and prescriptions of bedrest, but he didn't remember ever treating this man. He wouldn't, to be truthful. There was just too many of them.

He felt shame and guilt rebuild over the current feelings he had been nurturing, and couldn't bring himself to look at the other man. It had been awhile since these memories had returned with such raw sensation.

"If you didn't want to be recognized, why even bother living? I've got this bounty, you know, 'alive' only. Some nights I wonder if they only want me alive to show off an example, to what happens if one of them tries to escape. So, what's your excuse? You couldn't be worse off than me, you got perks."

He had his own wing in the mansion overlooking the city. He had all the best schooling available on the East coast for a medical degree, and he was treated with respect and dignity, as long as he abided by the rules. But Law didn't say any of this, watching as the town started to stir. The animal yards would be running by now, the sun just barely showing its light along the mountain ridges.

He wiped his face with a too hot hand.

"The less you know, the less you can reveal when they get to you," he said tightly.

"Hah! So you think they're going to catch up to me, first?" Sanji asked incredulously. "I'm a Strawhat, now, we're untouchable!"

He laughed, and both men twitched on the floor in response, snorting in mid snore or mid breath. Sanji cringed and waited for them to resettle, Law watching them with caution. When it was apparent that both weren't waking, Sanji looked back at Law and said in a lower voice, "What you going to do? Tell them you're sorry?"

Law had spent many nights thinking about it, but he wasn't about to admit it, now. He looked at his gloved hands, squeezing his fingers into a tight fist before relaxing them.

"You ever come to the house after your shift?" Sanji then asked curiously, stubbing the end of the cigarette with the bottom of his boot. Then he tossed the remains out the window. "Partake in the freebies? I'd remember you if you did, you're too memorable. Maybe you used the other wing."

Law said nothing in response, thinking about some of the horrors that were laid out in front of him. Some of them were bleeding profusely from broken places, and they searched for sympathy when he stopped by to fix them. But Law had developed a cold numbness to the terrified faces that pleaded for help. He could still hear them, sometimes, late at night when the darkness had swallowed up everything around him.

"Nothing? No false apologies, no excuses? Just acceptance? You're no better than them, you know. Your absolution will hit you in Hell with the rest of them," Sanji said thickly. But he rubbed his forehead, blearily taking in the floor before reaching out with his toes to stroke the dirtied hems of Law's jeans. He used his toes to draw the material up, to touch the older man's skin. Law still wouldn't look at him, and Sanji was starting to grow frustrated. So he tried another tactic, too drunk to even realize what effect his words were having.

"When I first started out, there was an older woman there. Well, two years younger than me, now, but she was – she tried to make it easier for the rest of us rookies. She said instead of thinking of it as 'whoring', to think of it as 'comforting'. The johns that came in were all broken men, she said. All from being told what to do. They seen things, had to do things that no one else should be doing. They were stressed, they were tired, they were overworked and every day could be their last. We should 'comfort' them, and think of ourselves as comfort workers."

He gave a disgusted laugh, not caring if he woke the others. "I thought that was bullshit. Fuck that. I ain't 'comforting' anybody that paid for me! To think of you people as people that needed 'comforting' made me furious!"

Rising up from the floor, Sanji ventured over to him, reaching out to hug him from behind. He felt how tense Law had grown, the way the other man wouldn't look at him, but Sanji held onto the other man tight, resting his head against his shoulder.

"But now, I think, did you need comfort at that time? After all the jobs you did, the deliberate medical manipulation you caused just to keep a victim alive for them, hearing their screams as they were tortured, keeping the workers alive so they could be fucked until they were nothing but shells, did you need a tender touch afterward? Hmm? Or did you sleep comfortably at night, knowing they wouldn't do you the way they did us?"

Overwhelming guilt ate at Law's stomach, and he couldn't staunch the sensation of rising acid that burned his throat. It had taken a long time to quiet those screams. Now that they were brought up again, it seemed as if they'd never really left his memory at all. They were still fresh. He clenched his hands together to keep them from shaking, his teeth pressed together to keep from saying anything. He stared out the window and saw nothing, the world too blurry and rushing by too fast for him to see it.

Sanji rubbed his rigid arms, leaning up to kiss the back of his neck, to touch the lobe of his ear with his mouth. "I could comfort you, now. Take away those bad memories. Maybe I can help you chase all those bad things away with my mouth. You like that, don't you?"

After a few moments, Law pulled away from him. Touch of any kind at the moment made his skin crawl. "You'll do well to keep this to yourself. Not just for your friends' safety, but your own."

Sanji looked at him incredulously, then snapped, "Are you threatening me? After _that_ , after everything you did, _you're_ the one threatening me?"

"It's not me threatening you," Law said low, finally looking back at him. "It's just… _you'll_ be the one they hurt first. I promise you, that."

"They'll never take me back," Sanji promised, holding tightly onto his wrist, then drawing him in so that he could hold him tight against him. His steps were unsteady, and his focus wasn't that good, but he could see the man in front of him and he still had things to say. "It could be the same for you, too. You could stay with us. I'll take care of you. Like I do with Zoro. Hmm? You two could share me. I don't mind. I'll be both of your comforts. Maybe even at the same time."

Law broke out of his grasp, pushing him hard enough to fall onto the bed. "That is disgusting."

Sanji had to catch himself, caught off-guard by the sudden move. He scowled, fixing his collar, attempting to wipe the blurriness out of his eyes.

"You talk about yourself like you're only a fucking thing. You think that's what people want, because that's how they treated you. I know that entirely too well – but _I'm_ not a thing. _You're_ not a thing," Law snapped at him, hoisting up his saddle bags. "And I won't treat you like a thing. I'm leaving because I have nothing more to do with this situation. I only went to see if getting into that compound could actually be done. Now that there's no purpose, there's no reason for me to be here."

With a wild, drunken scramble, Sanji ran after him, grabbing onto his arm.

"You think you can go back to ignoring what you did, thinking you'll be forgiven?" he snapped, holding onto him tight as Law gave him a furious look. "It's not that easy to forget!"

"I've spent most of these nights thinking about what I did. Never have I asked for an absolution. Never have I apologized for it, because there is nothing in this world that will ever forgive me for what I did for them. You think I don't ever look back and wonder how I could've done it differently? And you bring it up, _and_ you bring up intimacy in the same fucking sentence, you're fucked in the head for that."

"Shit like that gets Zoro going to prove me wrong. Maybe it's a language thing," Sanji said with a drunken tilt of his head, tracing his jawline with a finger. "I just want to see if it'll work on you. Looks like I'll have to employ a different tactic."

Law shoved his hand away. "You are _drunk_ and don't know what you're talking about."

"Let's start over. Let me thank you for rescuing me. I've been told I give amazing rescue head," Sanji said, draping himself against him, tightening his arms around his neck. Then he hung there, causing Law to stumble as his weight caught. Sanji laughed, the sound much too loud in the quiet hall. He jumped up to wrap his legs around his waist, and Law had to struggle to stay standing or fall forward, reaching out to stop them from hitting the wall.

"You've got all this anger about these things. Let me give you comfort," Sanji murmured, hugging him tightly before kissing and drawing his tongue over his earrings.

Law jerked up to standing with a frustrated curse, and realized they weren't the only ones in the hall. Zoro used the butt of his white sword perfectly against Sanji's head, the man flopping to the floor like a sack of potatoes, clearly unconscious. Aghast at the swordsman's appearance, the very action he took against his own friend, Law steadied himself against the wall.

"People are trying to sleep, and this is happening where people can hear," Zoro muttered darkly, traces of his original language apparent. He gave Law such a hard stare that the older man thought the man would attack him as well. But Zoro turned and walked away, saying, "Leave him there. He'll sober up in a couple of hours."

After he shut the door behind him, Law looked down at Sanji. He then bent and picked him up, struggling to do so when the dead weight did nothing to help him. Brook was suddenly there, assisting him quietly with surprising strength and grace.

They walked to his room and deposited the man onto the bed, Brook patiently pulling up the sheets.

"It's okay. He won't remember this when he wakes up," Brook assured him. "I apologize for anything that might have been said or done."

Law was appalled that Sanji could release things so casually when he was drunk, when he'd spent endless nights trying to quiet and blur those horrible memories. Now that they returned with fresh images, it seemed impossible to shut away. He looked down at the man with frustration. With Sanji was sleeping, looking entirely different from the drunken mess earlier, Law wasn't sure if he felt sad, sorry or angry at him.

"Will you be staying with us?" Brook asked gently, Ussop mumbling in his sleep.

"No. No, I'm going home," Law answered tightly, finding it difficult to look away from Sanji for a few moments.

"Stay one more day. Until the others arrive."

"There's no need if there's no more plans on taking on the compound."

"You think they haven't made an impression?" Brook asked him incredulously. " _He_ broke out of a tightly secured facility. From the sounds of it, he near single-handedly took on a train full of big Marine names. He and Ace challenged a known bounty hunter that was in talks to become lord over parts of the West as it becomes available. Ace mentioned something about how these talks were going to affect leadership between the Marines, and the corrupt with unlimited money that can buy states. Sheriff Smoker blew up parts of Loguetown himself. That compound _will_ come to us."

For a moment, Law hesitated. He was interested in what happened next, but not at the cost of becoming involved with the man passed out in front of him. His eyes strayed to him once more, taking in the shape of his features, the color of his hair. It made him angry to feel things he thought he couldn't. But he was still curious.

Did the Strawhats have a chance of survival against such obstacles?

And if they did, did they have a chance of overcoming others?

"He'll behave, we'll make sure of it," Brook said assuredly. "If that's what you're wary about."

He shook his head, unable to formulate a response. Then he left the room, striding to the stairway with frustration.

Later that morning, Bepo nibbled at his hat, then at his jacket, as if scolding him for leaving him in the yards. The vet had said the horse was fine – he was only bruised, and it was up to Law if he wanted to ride him. The horse still walked with a slight limp, and Law patted the horse's neck and shoulders with some decision, reluctant to take the horse on a possibly difficult trip back to Loguetown.

He led the horse away from the corral, carrying the saddle with both hands and lugging it to a rail nearby. Bepo followed with a snort and jerk of his head, nibbling on the saddlebags Law carried over one shoulder. He hauled the saddle up and over the rail, his mind heavy with the confrontation. He felt ten years older at that point, leaning against the saddle with a pensive frown, resting his arms atop of it. As he scanned the corrals, morning activity with the animals including much conversation, feeding and watering, he thought about the actions he was taking thus far. His first mistake was giving into Sanji – then being convinced to help rescue him – then lingering when he should've just left before last night's activities. While a big part of it was taking up Sheriff Smoker's suggestion in an 'alliance', now that the plans were off, he had no real reason to stay. Could anybody actually break into a Marine compound successfully? The scary part about it was how serious the Strawhat crew was when they actively set their minds to it.

There was a casual optimism and confidence all of them had when sticking together that made Law believe in it. And he hadn't seen them in combined action, other than the bar's activities. But even that could be taken as proof in that they worked very well together, had different skill sets to deliver as a group.

But what could _he_ offer to the group? He had an upsetting past where he performed deeds for a very powerful crime family that made him who he was today.

When Sheriff Smoker asked about Rosinante, Law had the answer in his hands. The letters weren't signed by the man, Smoker wouldn't know, but Law was pretty sure the youngest brother was meandering through the wave of activity like normal. Still waiting for Law to either come home on his own, or dragged in, kicking and screaming. Their relationship was the only stable thing he had back then – Rosinante took him in like he were his own child, doing everything he could to protect him from the abuse the others had endured. Law had watched him cut out his own tongue, one night, something Rosinante never explained. When the man nearly bled to death, bleeding out and choking on the blood he swallowed, the family scrambling to save him, Law had gone mute himself for a few days. That inspired him to go into medical school, but it only encouraged the family to continue to use him.

All the horrors he'd endured as a child had made him short tempered and easy to blow back then; but Rosinante had always been there to remind him that he was only human. The things he made Law do or participate in seemed pointless and stupid – but he was the one behind the horseback lessons, the gun expertise, the choice in Law's living situation. Looking at all the activity in the corrals, he couldn't help but reflect on the lessons Rosinante had forced him into.

His first horseback lesson had been a rather noisy one. He hollered bloody murder and sent his horse into a bucking protest with his tantrum – and Law excused his actions over stress over college exams and the grooming Doflamingo had him undergo, but that horse had sensed it.

"I'm a fucking adult! Why am I riding this thing?" he remembered himself screeching as the horse bucked and jumped and tossed him, much to Rosinante's alarm. The horse galloped off, lingering close by as the trainer halted the animal from running anymore. Rosinante hurried over, his absurdly tall frame lurpy and uncoordinated. The black jacket he wore, arms dangling to leave his limbs free, fell to the dirt in the midst of his run.

'I was hoping to take your mind off things,' he had hand-signed, tripping over some horseshit. When Law finally managed to pick himself up from the dirt, he was bleeding from the nose and utterly furious at the humiliation.

" _Why_ will I be riding a fucking horse?" he snarled as Rosinante gingerly picked himself up, cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. "Am I riding to patients' beds on a _fucking horse_? Am I a fucking fairy tale prince on a _fucking horse_? Am I supposed to be riding to fucking church on a _fucking horse_?"

Rosinante waved his hand at the rising fury with a chuckle. Then his fingers moved quickly, 'Calm down. It'll pay off in the end. Now, try it again. Less screaming, this time.'

" _You get on that goddamn horse_!"

'If you need me to show you how it's done,' Rosinante signed with a sigh, gesturing for the animal to be led to him. But it took nearly five minutes for him to even do so – he kept falling off the other side. Once he was settled in the saddle, the trainer trying his hardest not to laugh his head off, Rosinante ended up kicking the horse's flanks as he tried settling his boots into the stirrups. It took nearly a half hour finding the man, miles down the road, the horse having taken off and jumping the fence. By the time he was returned to the farm, Rosinante looked a sight, and Law couldn't help but be amused. His expensive clothes were dirtied and torn and it looked as if the horse had ridden him through some thorn bushes. He had horseshit on his knees and twigs in his blond hair. He did not look as if he were the one who helped the family rule the East coast.

'Almost like that, but neater,' Rosinante signed wearily, brushing off some leaves from his shoulder before lighting a cigarette.

Law had to laugh at him, but he did get back on the animal and did everything opposite of Rosinante's example. When months passed, his confidence with horses had been exceptional, and he could ride without the saddle and though it looked neat as hell, it really wasn't something he'd do if he didn't have to. Rosinante was there the entire time and Law just thought it was one of his crazy ideas – he never knew what Rosinante was planning until the man handed him a train ticket, signed his reason why, and told him to never look back.

He felt his chest tighten at the remembrance of that day. But now wasn't the time to think about it. He pushed away from the saddle and fiddled with the stirrups as Bepo chewed on some weeds nearby. Rosinante had done a lot for him, but Law didn't truly see it until he was no longer at the man's side. He felt the familiar ache in his lungs just thinking about him, but he signaled for Bepo to approach him so he could dress him up in the saddle.

Nearly an hour later, he returned to the hotel. He checked Bepo into the nearby horse stables, Bepo calling after him angrily. Walking into the front lobby, he saw Brook at the piano. There were workers hastily cleaning the bar area, readying it for the night, but Brook played a classical tune that didn't match a bar setting. When he saw Law, he gave a nod, top hat shifting ever so slightly.

"Good, good," Brook said merrily, the notes soaring the faster his fingers moved.

: :

When he walked into the room to check on Sanji, Tony was sitting there with the arithmetic textbook he'd found in Sanji's suitcase that one night. He had a pencil and had a concentrated expression on his pale face. Coughing a few times, he showed off his work, and Law felt his stomach clench with anxiety at the sound of Sanji answering him. The man was sitting up in the bed, but he clearly looked hungover and unwell. Zoro was snoring in the corner of the room, but Law sensed that the man knew he was in there, as well.

"Hi! Did you get your horse?" Tony asked him with such delight that Zoro snorted himself awake and Sanji winced, holding his head.

"Yeah. He's fine."

"Can we go see him, next?"

"Sure."

Tony finished up his work, slammed the book down on the floor, then said, "I'll be right back!"

When he raced out from the room, his footsteps ringing loud in the hall, Law looked at Sanji. The other man looked rather embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head painfully as he adjusted his seat.

"This hangover's killing me," he confessed. "I imbibed a little too much, last night. Whatever I did to my head doesn't make it any better. My head feels like it's ready to fall off."

He wore nothing that indicated their confrontation, earlier. As Law searched for clues in his expression, feeling a slow draw of upset over the entire situation, Tony returned with a backpack of his own. He jumped onto the bed, rummaging through it until he came to a dark brown bottle. "Take four."

"You were supposed to label these! This isn't the shit that had me hallucinating the last time, is it?"

"No! It's your own fault, Sanji, that your head hurts, don't take it out on me. These will help. It's aspirin. Take it, and drink that all up. You'll feel better," Tony said, gesturing at the pitcher nearby. "And no more, tonight. That's enough."

"Right, right."

Tony waited until Sanji had swallowed down the pills, then gathered up his things. He looked up at Law with a smile. "Luffy and the others went down to the train station! We should be hearing from them, soon!"

With that, Tony jumped off the bed and ran back down the hall again, a door slamming moments later. Zoro was still sleeping, his head leaning forward onto his chest, arms tightly crossed.

After frowning at him, Sanji looked up at Law. "What time did you turn in, last night? I don't remember most of it."

Law gave him a dirty look. " _Really_?"

Sanji took in his expression some dread, suddenly looking shamed as he looked down at his fingers. "No, I – I remember watching everyone dance, and then – well, it was nice waking up here. I mean…considering I don't remember anything…I just…I feel awkward, now, and I couldn't help but wonder if anything happened between us. I mean, you're giving me that look."

With a cross expression, Law glanced at Zoro, who was looking at Sanji with thinly disguised scorn. Sensing the rising tension in the room, Sanji made a face, cringing as he rubbed tenderly at the back of his head once more.

"I…I'm sorry. Both of you. I must've did something stupid, again. I'm sorry. It shouldn't happen, again. Soon. Any time soon."

Zoro said something to him that Law didn't understand, but he didn't miss the contempt that dripped from every word. Sanji looked at him, blinking cluelessly, fingers moving, as if he were trying to translate for himself what was being said. Then he scowled at him, flinging the pillow in his direction. Zoro pushed it away, then left the chair, giving Law a dirty look. When the man passed by him, he hit Law in the arm with his shoulder, not hiding what he felt.

When Law heard him walk away, his footsteps ringing heavy down the hall, he looked at Sanji, who was as red as a tomato.

"I'm so embarrassed. I'm sorry. For anything I said or did. It was shitty of me," he stumbled, leaning over his lap and looking every bit of his apology. "I might not know all of it, but… Zoro told me I was behaving…that I was out of line. It must've – alcohol must've hit me harder than I thought. I can't apologize enough for whatever it was I did."

"You remember absolutely nothing? That's convenient for you."

Sanji winced, playing with the sheets with nervous fingers. "I must've said something terrible. I'm sure I didn't mean it. I…and my actions, I just…I have no excuses for them, I just…I'm – something else takes over, sometimes, it just…"

"Problematic," Law muttered, turning and walking away. He slammed the door behind him with a frustrated expression, then made his way to his room. The pair were still sleeping on the floor, and Law wondered if they would awake sore later. But he tossed his saddle bags on the bed and returned to the window, watching the world move about in the street.

Later that afternoon, he was flicking through some postcards outside of the general store when movement caught his eye. He looked over to seeing a tall man ducking into the nearby gun store, and he put the postcards back, feeling cautious. He followed after the man, noting the gunsmith's terrified expression as he craned his head back to take in the man as he stood over him.

"Hurry up! I'm not in the best of moods, today, I'm feeling pissed! You think I don't got money, or what?"

 _This is why they should've let him drown_! Law thought apprehensively.

As the gunsmith hurried off, his wife cowering behind the counter before darting off after him, Kidd looked over at him. He had bruises all around his eyes, his nose crooked, and one eye was swollen shut. He looked haggard, and when he coughed, Law could hear the water in his lungs. But one thing he took from the encounter was that Kidd was a defeated man. He didn't stand so proudly as he did before, and he looked pretty sullen about his predicament.

He was wearing only his leather pants and his high collar jacket, which gaped open to reveal a shirtless torso. His pants looked uncomfortably tight, and he kept moving oddly to alleviate the building pressure. Despite what Kidd was capable of, Law found his appearance amusing.

"What are you laughing at, jerk? You think this is funny? What the fuck are you looking at?" Kidd then snapped at him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Met you on the train the other night," Law said. "You looked a lot different then."

Kidd hit the counter with a growl. "You're with that kid? That little shit! He broke my goddamn eye! Hurts like a bitch – I have all this shit on me, I'm a respected goddamn man, and here this kid comes along, and fells me like I'm goddamn Goliath, with a stupid rock! And that skinny fucker with him, he's no better! And Ace? _Ooh_ , don't get me started."

He straightened up, gesturing at him with both middle fingers. "And you, you sleepless fuck, you stand there and laugh at me and rub it in."

"Well, I did help pull you out of the water. If that counts."

"That don't mean anything. You hear this?" He forced himself to cough, gesturing at his chest. "Breathed that shit in. Feels like I can't get it out! I'm pissed! I'm coming into town, I'm going to build a huge fucking cannon and I'm going to kill that kid. Soon. Well, maybe turn him in. Well, maybe after I make some armor and shit, keep those rocks out of there. Hey! What's the hold up?"

"Anyway, I walked all the way here. That was a bitch to do, especially in these boots," Kidd said, lifting a foot. He winced as he pulled one off, showing off his wet sock and wrinkly toes.

"You show all the men you first meet your wrinkled toes? Isn't that a little suggestive?"

"Hell with you, man, if I wanted to entice somebody, there's a different way to do it," Kidd grumbled, rubbing his feet, then glaring at his boots. "Anyway, man, so I'm here in town. I saw riders coming up to the train, but I tell ya, they weren't the animal handling type. That friend of yours rustled the hornets' nest with that dumbass stunt he did on the train. Between Cactus Rock and Loguetown, that's a harsh way to leave people sitting in the sun with no way of communication to let people know they broke down. Them stingers in there aren't going to be happy, and you can bet your skinny ass it's going to have a ripple effect on everybody."

"We're not friends, you know," Law reminded him, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door. "So why even tell me all this?"

"I don't give a fuck. Who the fuck are you, anyway?"

"Marines will be pissed at anybody that doesn't follow their rules."

"You're just going to ignore my question, huh?" Kidd blew his hair out of his eyes, then attempted to fix it back. But without his goggles, he had no way of doing so. "Yeah. Well, you know Cactus Rock is as crooked as they come. There's an unspoken dialogue between them, and us. Bounty hunters. We bring them the bait, they pay us, they fuck with us, we fuck with them, anybody with a bounty gets dealt with. But not only are they dealing with us, they're trying their sleazy hands with this one group from back east. And that – that doesn't sit well with me. I thought, hey, if this is happening, I want my share. I want my territory established, and I want some promises on paper! I want it guaranteed! But after I nearly drowned to death, I started rethinking it."

With a growl, Kidd pounded on the counter once more. Then jumped over it himself, and started rummaging through the shelves, pulling out the drawers. He pulled out various tools and boxes of magnets, some electrical wires.

"So, you're with the Strawhats? You don't look the type to be associated with anybody. I can tell wolves from the sheep, and you're definitely not a wool wearing person," Kidd said, giving him a skeptic look. "I always knew Ace was full of shit, but now that I see it, it makes sense that he's related to that Strawhat brat. But you don't fit. So, what's your story?"

"No story. I was…asked nicely to assist. That was it."

"Hah!" Kidd exclaimed, fiddling with the items on the counter before leaning over and pulling out various objects from his jacket pockets. Law watched with some mounting curiosity as Kidd began taking slim boxes apart, replacing the wiring, removing wet magnets. "I know that fucking family, and they don't 'ask nicely'. They will hound you to the ends of the earth for something. Tell me, was it one of the ladies? They've got real nice looking ladies with them. I saw their posters, and, _wow_. And fucking _Blackleg_ don't even look like his poster! If I'd known that was him in the first place…"

He trailed off, shaking his head with a mutter. "But I guess that's just a sneaky roundabout for his own family, keeping an eye on their kid. Y'know? Hey, I've been doing this awhile, I practically know family trees and shit. So if you don't belong to any group, and you were forced into this, it has to be because of a lady that you're staying."

Law looked away uncomfortably, reaching up to fiddle with his earrings.

"Always for the ladies," Kidd added, looking at his creation with relief. "There. That should do it, for now. I didn't think the copper shit they had in stock here would do anything, but it looks like it'll provide enough of a current to fit my needs. I need to take this stuff with me. Help me carry it out."

"Carry it out yourself. You're a big kid."

"Isn't that what friends do? They fucking help each other?"

"Who said I was your friend?" Law exclaimed as Kidd leapt over the counter, sweeping all of it into his jacket pockets. He watched the man redistribute some of the weight in his pockets throughout what was left of his outfit. At the finished result, Kidd was making a face as he held his pants up, pockets bulging uncomfortably heavy.

"Anyway, check it out. This is what makes me really cool. I wear this stuff – blast the magnets with full charge to catch bullets and shit. Use it to unlock doors, push fucking trains! Not with this, but with my gloves…anyway, nobody can shoot me. I'm a fuckin' superhuman, you know? So, I thought with all this, I could land a proposal to secure my own territory. But looking at it now, it just seems lame," he said with a sigh, examining the slim device he'd just fixed.

He activated it, and Law's head jerked forward, his earrings catching onto the metal. He had to support himself by putting his hands out, and Kidd laughed, deactivating it. Then he scowled at him as Law rubbed his ear painfully.

"Dude, really? So it must've not been a lady you're doing this for, but for another bro," Kidd pointed out, plucking Law's hand off his bare chest and pushing it away.

" _You_ \- !"

Kidd activated it again, and laughed as Law's head once again leaned into him. "All right, since you insisted, we can be friends, now. Let's go, man, help me carry this stuff or I'll take this out to the streets with you touching me like that."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The OMAM concert was amazing here in Reno! Hmm, this story will be longer than I thought. *** **Cries** *** I'm a huge commitment phobe, too, so this is a problem for me. Anyway, I'll be posting another chapter very soon – then after that, I fade to black because I really need that gym time.**

 **Reviews:** **Thanks, all of you for sharing your comments on this fic! I really enjoy writing it, I like how the characters are shaping out, and I'm a huge action adventure fan so writing the actiony parts make me plenty happy! I hope you continue to enjoy**

 **Naghi-tan: hehe hehe**

 **Guest 1: There will be continued bits and pieces popping up here and there as the story progresses. Lol and if I had Ace doling out the advice, it'd be ASOL all over again ;)**

 **Guest 2: I'm glad you do**

 **Panda: haha yah, he's complicated XD his future is going to be unpredictable, considering this is AU. In fact, I have no problems writing death :o**

 **Snowflake: it is pretty messed up the more the chapters go, and it'll get even more so. Kidd will definitely stick around for awhile!**

 **Chic: haha! Hope this 1(2) makes your weekend even better!**

 **Part Seven**

Luffy looked up as Kidd approached him. He had managed to find some newer clothes, and some welder goggles that he'd been using while at the blacksmith's. His garish pants were outrageously ugly, in some animal print that didn't match any of the desert animals in the area, and his jacket was outfitted with a bandoleer style with bits of metal on them. His gloves hung around his neck like a heavy weight, and the man looked wholly uncomfortable trying to make it in the desert heat. But it was his busted face that had Luffy laughing.

"Shut up, brat!" Kidd snapped at him, approaching him at the bar counter. The teenager, with his dingy linen shirt, bullet bandoleers, modified pants and thongs looked entirely out of touch with the rest of the West. His strawhat hung low at his neck, and his black hair was flattened and dusty at the crown. His feet didn't even touch the ground, and he wore most of his meal on his face. He looked too young to be of any serious significance.

Kidd looked at the empty plates around Luffy, a member of the staff looking up at him with fear. He gave a growl, bearing his teeth, so the woman left with a timid scrunch of her shoulders. It was uncomfortably warm within the bar – the fans above, moving by a rotating rubber strip, did nothing to cool the place. Dust was visible near the windows, building in strength whenever horses went by, and the conversations of the townspeople utilizing the boardwalk outside the hotel made it difficult to find any sort of peace.

Leaning on the counter, he said to Luffy, "Look, truce. You beat me this time. I'm a cool guy, I can accept defeat. What I can't accept is that it was by you."

"It gets easier," Luffy said, resuming shoveling food to his mouth. Then he spoke, bits and pieces flying out. "What brings you here, anyway? Ace said he met you in Cactus Rock."

"If he told you that much, that much is all you need to know. Look, the reason why I came here is to offer some advice. You guys stirred the hornets' nest. You do realize that the Admiral isn't going to take that bust-out so nicely. And your friend left a bunch of them in the sun. Who knows if they were even rescued, yet?"

"I'm sure glad Sanji is back, though," Luffy said. "We were going to go in after him, but he got out on his own. He didn't say how."

"Well, however he did it, he broke a rule. _No one_ gets out. No one leaves those cells unless it's by their direction," Kidd grumbled. He fiddled with his boots. "My toes are rotting straight off. Thanks to you guys."

Luffy only laughed. "They're probably gross!"

"How were you planning on getting in there, anyway? Are you stupid? Nobody busts in some Marine compound and gets out alive. I heard a couple of your crewmembers got in, and left by the luck of God."

"God had nothing to do with it, Kidd. They're that awesome. Every one of my crew is awesome! With all of us combined, we'd bust that place to the ground!" Luffy then shrugged, picking up a drumstick. He sank his teeth into it, an appreciative expression crossing his face at that moment. "But Sanji is out, now, there's no reason to put any of them in any danger. But, I admit, I might be game enough to pick up the idea again. Once the rest of my crew gets here, of course."

"Train stations are shut down because of that shit. It's only a matter of time before they come here," Kidd insisted. "If your friends are coming, hopefully it's by stagecoach!"

"You want to join us, Kidd? Sounds like you've got a little aggression to work out."

"No. I like to live, thanks. I just want to come in and see what was next. One of your buddies told me where to find you. The guy with the sleeping problem? But I don't remember seeing him in the Wanted section, so I was just curious as to who he was," Kidd added, pulling out a book and showing Luffy the posters that had been collected within. "Every one of you is Wanted, with a big price on the head. So why's this guy not in here?"

"Why do you want to know, Kidd? All I know is that he and Zoro got into a fight and neither of them won, so, in my book, that's good enough for me, because Zoro's my second!" Luffy said cheerfully. "If he doesn't want to tell you his name, I'm not going to force him."

Kidd stared at him for a few moments, then, when he couldn't understand the reasoning, he said, "Look, if you plan on taking these guys on, what's in it for you? Are you looking to control some of the territories?"

" _No_ ," Luffy answered, giving him a bewildered frown. Kidd couldn't help but notice his freaky long eyelashes, which gave him an overall innocent look. "Why would I want that? I don't care about that sort of thing. We're just trying to get to the West coast, but I have to admit, we get distracted, a lot."

Kidd gave him a blank look, shutting his book closed. "You're just getting into – what, to see the ocean, or something?"

"I heard it was like the other one, but warmer! I can't swim, of course, but I got plans. So do they. So I figure, hey, let's just make a trip of it! Have fun on the way! It's not our fault half the time if we end up robbing people and getting caught up in their business and whatnot. It wasn't our fault about Drum Town."

"That's because _I_ did Drum Town!" Kidd cut himself off, then rubbed his temples. "Look, is there an adult available that I can talk to? I'd like to have an actual conversation with an adult that has more reasoning than a kid that thinks this is…nothing more than family play time! C'mon! I got beat by _you_?"

Luffy laughed, spraying the countertop with food once more. "Yeah! You should've saw your face when I jumped on you! If eyes could bug the way yours did!"

"You nearly drowned me, you brat! Where's your second, let me talk to him!"

"Okay, but don't get all huffy when he doesn't want to talk to you," Luffy warned him. He looked over his shoulder, saying, "Oi! Zoro! This guy needs an adult to talk to!"

Kidd looked up with surprise, watching as the green haired man snorted himself awake from a table in the back. He hadn't even seen the man when he walked in. He was pretty sure the place had been empty save for Luffy. Zoro walked over, the man giving Kidd a disturbed expression as he took in his outfit. Kidd towered over him easily – but he was bothered that, despite the No Weapons policy, the guy had three swords hanging at his side.

"Uh, so, as I was saying to your boss, here, I wanted to know how you're going to handle the shit coming your way from the compound? They're coming after you, you know," Kidd said, clearing his throat as the steely stare caused him some discomfort.

"Cut them," Zoro answered, shrugging.

"I want details! I want to know your plan!"

"Cut them a second time. Oi, Luffy, those pants are giving me a headache."

Luffy shrugged, and Zoro wandered back to his seat, Kidd looking after him with frustration. "That's _all_?"

"Well, we got this fifty cal outfitted to this train, too! And we have a _horse_!" Luffy cried, utterly delighted. He exhaled with relief, hand to his chest. "We're pretty much set."

Kidd's mouth fell open. "You have a guy with knives, a _horse_ , and a train with just _one_ fifty cal, and you think that's _enough_?"

"Oh, and a guy from the circus! He's a Strong man! You should see his mustache! That thing alone will inspire men with weaker constitutions to back away!"

Kidd stared at him for a few more moments, then hit the counter again. "I want to speak with someone that knows what you're doing!"

Luffy nodded, lowering the slice of ham from his mouth. "Oi! Zoro! Does Sanji know what we're doing?"

"No."

"Does Brook?"

"No."

"What about Law?"

"Definitely not."

Luffy turned to Kidd with another shrugging. "Sorry. I exhausted all possibilities. There are no other adults present."

Kidd sat atop of a stool and exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples. In a low, tortured voice, he murmured, "This is ridiculous. How the fuck is this even possible?"

"Well, normally, Nami is the one that speaks for us, if it isn't Zoro or Sanji, but Nami isn't in, right now. Would you like me to take a message to her?"

" _No_!"

With a groan, Kidd turned in his seat away from Luffy, who resumed eating. "This entire situation – I normally would keep my ass out of something that doesn't make sense, but, I have to admit, this entire thing is intriguing! You have to know you've made a name out there, and when this hit? I mean, Blackleg left two Marine generals, two members of a crime family, three huge name bounty hunters with established territory on the West coast, _out_ in the _fucking_ sun - ! And with all the power behind them, they're pissed off, they know names, they know how to find you! Hopefully none of you have family they can touch on!"

"Nope," Luffy said, shaking his head. "Absolutely none. Unfortunately, most of us either have no family, or don't know our family, or lost our family, or their family's trying to kill them, or - !"

"Whatever! The point is, when they come with their combined powers, how the fuck are the few of you going to respond?" Kidd roared with impatience.

"Do you want to join my crew, Kidd? You can! Let's form an alliance!" Luffy exclaimed.

" _No_! Not this time, Luffy! Any guy that wears shit like that can't be taken seriously!" Zoro called out from his table.

Luffy shrugged. "Sorry, but you've been rejected."

" _I didn't want to in the first place_!" Kidd yelled at him, then turned away, gripping his hair with frustration. "This is impossibly stupid! How can someone like you, so childishly simple, be so goddamn confident - ? Anyway, no, Strawhat, fuck your alliance. I want to stay just to see you guys get shot down. How's that?"

"Okay, but don't be sad when we win, and you feel left out. Oi! Can I please have some milk?" Luffy then called out to the kitchen.

Kidd glared at the bar for several moments, then looked over when Brook, Tony, Ussop and Sanji emerged from the main staircase. Sanji looked startled until he realized Zoro was nearby, relaxing only slightly as Brook and the others gave Kidd curious expressions.

"I've only seen Franky with so much muscle!" Tony exclaimed, staring at him with wonder.

"I drink a lot of milk, brat. Now scram. I hate kids."

Tony scurried off, Sanji looking at Kidd with caution. "You look like someone would if a train rolled on them," he commented.

"And you're just a gross man-whore that should've been burned at the stake," Kidd retorted. He never expected his head to hit the counter as it did, wood cracking as his entire body went to the floor. Dazed, Kidd picked himself up with some effort, his ears ringing, the woodworks breaking apart around him. With a stunned expression, he managed to force himself away from the counter, having to twist his body to do so.

Still chewing, Luffy looked down at him with a wrathful expression. "No one talks shit to my crew like that."

Kidd didn't know what to say, looking back at the damage – somehow, when he'd hit the counter, his entire neck and shoulder had been shoved straight through the supportive wall, taking down with him bottles of alcohol, glasses and what looked like a tin of toothpicks. He knew he was a big man, but not with so much mass that his own frame could destroy a counter like that. Rubbing his neck, feeling the pricks of damage there, he nodded.

"Sorry," he apologized to Sanji.

Sanji grunted as he walked off, and Kidd rose unsteadily. Luffy returned to his seat, but now he was regarding Kidd with a distrustful expression. As the rest of his crew gathered together to head to the restaurant, Zoro rising to stand behind Luffy, Kidd said, "I'm going to hang around to check it out. If you need help…I can help out."

"Thanks. We might take you up on the offer if it starts looking real bad," Luffy said, setting aside the plate. He finished off his milk, and gave a heavy exhale. "Whew! Stuffed. Try the chicken, Zoro, it was amazing."

"You ate it all. _Captain_."

"I mean, get your own plate. Anyway, I'll see you around, okay, Kidd? Stay away from water holes!" Luffy laughed, sliding off the stool and following Zoro as they made their way to the restaurant with the others.

Rubbing his neck, Kidd looked back at the damage that had been caused, then after the two that had just left. He, too, wondered if it were possible; if the Strawhats were capable of taking on a Marine compound to leave intact.

: :

The bar was just as active as it was, last night. With how big of a draw the previous night had been for the owner, extra alcohol had been ordered, and more customers were eager to join in the festivities. Unfortunately, that meant the nearby rabble was interested, and Kidd recognized at least half of them that took to their tables, scowling at the outrageous cheer around them. He took up a table to himself – bandaged and grumpy, uninterested in joining any of the singing and dancing. Brook had his violin and was calling up for everyone to join in. Luffy was standing on one of the tables, trading lines with Ussop across the room.

Ace was eating at a table nearest the restaurant, the staff catering to his demands. Kidd wanted to talk to the man, but Ace took food seriously and wouldn't even answer him if Kidd tried. So he kept an eye on the man, waiting for an opening.

He was disgusted at the sheer joy just their attitudes and presence caused. Drinks were spilled, the windows weren't wide enough to allow cool air in, and the workers were overloaded trying to provide alcohol. He looked at his mug with a frown, the pint too dark and too foamy.

He couldn't understand how Zoro could _sleep_ within the midst of it, sitting by the piano with his arms crossed and his head drooping. He saw that a bunch of the previous partiers had been watching him if voices turned too cross or if a mess was caused. Sanji was in the midst of it all as well, but that guy made Kidd uncomfortable – whether it was because he'd crossed the line earlier with Luffy, or the way the blonde attracted lingering stares from other men, Kidd found himself discomforted with even looking in his direction.

Kidd was aware of Sanji's background; he was aware of the intentions behind the bounty. Which made his wonder over their preparation against the compound that much more exciting. If the Strawhats were that big of a threat, then Kidd would give them his full respect. But if they were all just going to die because of their idiot leader's impulses, then Kidd would resume where he'd left off with his own plans.

He looked around and saw Law sitting at the corner of the bar with his feet propped up on a stool, back against the counter. He looked like he was dozing off as well, but occasionally he'd nurse a glass of whiskey and glare at the festivities, as if the entire thing gave him a headache. Kidd was truly curious about him – he didn't know anything about him. And when he didn't know anything about anybody, he was grumpy. And when he was grumpy, Kidd made impulsive decisions to make up for it.

With a mumble under his breath, he adjusted his chair and propped his own boots up on the table next to him. The gamblers had to move because none of them chanced saying anything in protest. When the barmaid brought him another beer, he grumbled because it still wasn't the right color.

Then he looked up because Sanji was making his way over to Law, the pair of them exchanging a tense conversation when Sanji draped himself over him. But he'd seen a similar conversation between Sanji and Zoro, with Zoro trying to stab him, so Kidd wasn't going to pay it anymore mind, figuring it to be roughhousing. Sanji walked off to invite a burly cowboy to dance, and they did, much to the amusement of others. Kidd watched Law resettle in his seat, hiding most of his face with his low hanging hat and a palm to cheek, but the guy wasn't dozing off like he was earlier. He was glaring at the glass like it'd offended him.

Then Kidd realized the nine year old of the group was sitting at the bar next to Law, singing along while eating ice cream, coughing every so often. The bartenders gave him anything he asked for, and it really gave Kidd a headache as to why a _child_ was allowed in a bar setting – why was there a child involved with the Strawhats?

He looked back when there was a disturbance, Ussop shooting a bigger man with ice from his slingshot. The man looked at him with warning as he released a woman with a scared expression. He started reaching for his jacket, but then looked back towards Zoro. Kidd was annoyed that everybody's actions relied on Zoro.

When he looked in Ace's direction to see if the man were done eating, he saw that Ace was sleeping over his plate, fork still in hand, and a female staffer fretting around him. Kidd shook his head in disgust.

Luffy then launched into an animal naming game song, everyone booing him. Brook played along with a merry tune, and Sanji somehow changed it to have everyone throwing out answers to a singing beat. If an answer was wrong, the person would have to throw in his own song and dance until someone else gave a wrong answer. Luffy would accompany the dancer with his own uncoordinated action, with his own impression that had many people laughing. Kidd was utterly disgusted, mug trapped against his lips. This entire scene ruined the overall dangerousness of the Wild West. But even some of the rabble was joining in, clapping merrily and throwing out their answers until they realized what they were doing and resettled with scowls on their faces.

Sipping his beer, he caught sight of a man grabbing Sanji's collar, snarling something – Sanji grabbed his collar as well, angled back, and sent his heel up into the man's chin. The angle was impossible. It almost made Kidd grab his balls with a tender gesture, certain that the blond lacked any for a kick like that. But the man collapsed, and Sanji picked up where he left off, joining in with Luffy on an impression that no one could figure out.

A woman pulled away from a gambler at one of the tables, only to be doused with alcohol from the rejected suitor. As she hollered in protest, Sanji was moving in that direction, the gambler tossing his mug to the bar with a demand for more. He saw the kick coming, but there was no way for the man to avoid it. He was physically forced out from his chair and over another table by a single roundhouse that made everyone around them wince. As cards resettled and gamblers tossed the man from their table, the festivities continued. A few of the guys standing at the bar dragged the unconscious gambler from the scene and tossed him outside.

But the gambler's friends in the crowd rose from their tables with curses, two of them nearest the piano moving to confront the blond. Zoro was out of his chair in moments, and it took only a couple of swipes of his swords to have limbs falling to the floor, moments before any of them could touch Sanji on his way back to Luffy. Amidst the screams and upset of the men that occurred, people continued singing and dancing. Kidd was watching with an expression of stunned reaction, certain that there was more to the scene than that. But the men were tossed outside as well, allowing room for more to take their places. The limbs were thrown out after them, as if they were trash. Zoro returned to his seat after a warning glare in the direction of the two leading impressions of some mammal nearby.

Brook changed to the piano, and this time, some of the tables and chairs were moved aside. He started singing a tune that had much of the room moving in to participate in dancing, everyone pairing up together. Luffy himself was leading Ussop throughout the floor, Ussop protesting the entire time. A couple of fights broke out, but they were settled quickly. Kidd understood now why there was a No Weapons policy enforced. Someone was tossed through one of the main windows, but the cool air that swept in as a result made the action forgivable. He removed his jacket, resettling back in his chair with a disgusted look at the activities.

He looked back at Ace, just to see him encouraging a couple of plates his way, the female staffer looking intensely relieved. Kidd decided he would have to wait for Ace to approach him.

A man moving through the dance floor had his arm curled over his stomach, making his way to the bathrooms off to the back of the bar. But as he passed within view of Zoro, he moved to draw a hidden pistol from his jeans. Brook himself blasted the man, the action occurring so quick that he didn't even miss a beat on the piano. As the man flopped to the floor, Zoro gave Brook a nod and resumed drinking. Things were so loud and so joyful that it took Kidd some time to realize that the rabble had set themselves up in vantage points throughout the entire room. He would be caught in the crossfire, and he gave a growl, sitting up in his chair as the tension began to mount.

Brook stopped playing the piano, closing the cover on the keys. The sudden cessation of music had everyone looking around with confusion. Zoro rose from his seat, withdrawing all three swords. Luffy jumped up to stand on the bar, and Ussop took cover near the hotel stairway. Tony ducked behind the bar, and Sanji positioned himself onto the center of a table, scattering mugs to the floor. Even Law straightened up in his stool with a yawn, reaching into his jacket. Ace walked in with a clueless expression, hands on his hips.

"Is the party over?" he asked with disappointment.

One of the men pulled his gun out on him, causing people to scream and duck, to force a crowd of them into running for the exit. That caused the other men in position to move, withdrawing their guns as well, shouts ringing out. Ace sighed, patting his stomach with a sour face. Then he ducked in low, grabbing the man around his hips, shifting into a quick double leg takedown that had the man squawking with surprise. After that, it was a free for all.

Gunshots rang out over the screams. Sitting back to watch the show, Kidd activated his gloves and collar, energy whirring with noisy action. Bullets flying about caught onto him, sparing him from any injury. Mug to his lips, he watched as Ace moved from one man to the other with his freaky wrestling skills, locking and slamming, making it impossible for any of them get either hold onto him or get out of his hold. Sanji used the tables to kick out, hopping from one to the other with his headstands and spins, catching men that were racing away from Zoro, who spun and cut those closest to him – even those that weren't even near him. Luffy leapt into the fray with a war cry, using a series of hard punches, headbutts and kicks that looked near impossible for someone his size to have. He had men crashing through windows, tables and walls with just the sheer force of his touch. Ussop picked everyone off from his position, hitting them with his slingshot and demanding that Tony keep track.

Brook started up another tune with his violin, a jerky number that prompted Luffy to laugh and fight harder.

When Zoro swept past him, cutting two men into various pieces, his swords began jerking in Kidd's direction. Kidd cringed and pulled back, not wanting to get those things stuck to him, but the swordsman looked back at him with surprise, then irritation as he lunged forward to pull his swords out of Kidd's force. To do that, he spun in a circle, tables and chairs suddenly shattering, pieces of wood flying through the air. Then Kidd covered himself up because he was being pelted by them, shouting out with surprise and backing out of his chair to retreat a distance away from the man.

He then stumbled over some bodies lying where Law was standing, finding that the guy was using a knife to stab and cut men with such precision that they either began bleeding out without any hope of saving, or walked with dazed expressions with their hands over stains spreading from their chests. Kidd made a face and tiptoed out from that mess, nearly walking over Ace as Ace snaked his way into a rear naked choke that snapped a man's neck.

When he finally found a nice spot to sit away from the action, it was over. Luffy was swinging from one of the chandeliers with crazed laughter, Zoro sheathing his swords, Sanji balancing on a table with an arm pump to Ussop, who mimicked the gesture with a victorious shout. Brook was still playing, and Tony was peeking over the counter, clapping soundly. Law had returned to his seat and Ace was panting heavily on the floor with his hands over his stomach, looking ill. All around them were fallen men – either cut into pieces or suffering from fatal blunt wounds. The bar was destroyed in the process, and the owner ventured out from the liquor cellar with a cry of outrage. There were people standing outside, watching, and they erupted into cheers and clapping, approving of the carnage.

Landing on a table closest to the kitchen, Luffy called for some food. Kidd surveyed the damage with approval. It was impressive, but then again, most of these victims were small fry.

: :

"I haven't had a drop," Sanji insisted to Law, leaning over the counter to pour him a refill. The bar was crowded once more, people assisting with the removal of bodies, and he was taking a break from all the activities to help out the bartenders. Even Shachi and Penguin had joined in, taking up position on the other end, causing much relief to the overworked pair in the back. Brook was singing and playing mellow piano music that inspired couples dancing, with a general cheer to the air that wasn't so rowdy. Even Luffy was twirling Ussop around, Tony laughing at their antics. Ace and Kidd were in intense discussion, but Ace kept falling asleep in the middle of it, inspiring Kidd to yell at him.

With everyone focused elsewhere, Sanji returned to pester Law. His earlier crowding had earned a reprimand for his behavior, but Sanji was over that. He felt a pressing need to make up for whatever he'd done the night before. But he'd also noticed that the man never stopped watching him – that was encouragement enough.

"I swear. This is just my natural, radiant self, enjoying the fun. You could at least loosen up a bit. Maybe you should have more."

"Maybe it's not a good idea to give someone with former anger issues more alcohol," Law retorted.

Sanji paused, then leaned over the counter to say low, "Maybe those anger issues just need a different form of release."

"Oh, I found one," Law said, looking at the bloodstains on the floor. "But it isn't acceptable in society's eyes. Once I realized I was enjoying it too much, that's when I knew I had to leave."

Sanji took in a long drag of his cigarette, tilting his head with curiosity. He then held it out to him. For a moment, Law hesitated, then took a puff of the cigarette that Sanji still held. When Sanji drew the cigarette back to his own mouth, he grinned, taking a deliberate hold of the filter with his lips, essentially kissing the thing. "Indirect kiss!"

When he reached out to refill a couple of beer mugs, Law watched him do so. His eyes lingered over the exposed flesh of his throat, over the sharp line of his collarbone, of the expanse of visible skin of his partly buttoned shirt. It was a white one, today – the sleeves billowy, tucked into those tight pants, boots completing the sharp outfit. Despite all the healing injuries that were still visible, Law found himself thinking of every inch of exposed flesh he'd seen before. And it made him uncomfortable to admit he'd like to see it again.

It made him flustered over wanting to explore Sanji's body to find more of his injuries – to soothe and kiss each one, to hear his noises of appreciation, to having him underneath him again. Law wasn't sure if it were the alcohol or the atmosphere, but he was battling within himself some feelings that were hard to distinguish, especially after last night. Sanji truly didn't remember what had happened, otherwise Law was sure to see that expression from him again.

Even with how angry he felt over Sanji's casual mention of their shared past, upset with the aftermath, he found he still couldn't take his eyes away from him, physically wanting more. Brook's warning continued to haunt him, but with every moment they interacted, Law was drawn to him like one of Kidd's inventions.

He took the glass of whiskey, sipping carefully as he watched Sanji laugh and flirt with some flustered cowboys that didn't know how to respond. Uncomfortably, Law looked away, to find his attention caught by the gambling tables nearby. He watched players lie their way through various rounds before a winner was declared, the upset at the table noisy and rambunctious.

"I saw you looking, again," Sanji said, close to his ear. He'd rounded the counter with a bottle and a couple of glasses, intending on delivering them to a table. "When I catch you looking, you can bet I'm paying attention. If you want, we can sneak away for some fun."

It must've been the alcohol the dulled the war he had with himself, because Law appreciated the attention at that moment. He glanced at the pair working the other end of the bar, diligently taking money and doling out glasses to meet the demand. Brook was singing again, another man accompanying him with his own violin, and the combined merge of talent was enough to have people dancing again. There were gunshots outside, but it was only happy partiers that had spilled out the door, taking their cheer to the night to find some relief from the heat inside.

Luffy and Ussop were laughing hysterically, sitting near the dance floor, and Zoro was napping, head fully propped on the back of his chair, bottle clutched tightly in one hand. Tony was at Brook's feet, bobbing his head to the beat with a glass of juice in both hands, and Ace was talking with wild gestures that had Kidd laughing uproariously.

"My room, then. Ten minutes," Law acquiesced, much to Sanji's delight. The man locked his gaze with his, and smiled slowly, almost victoriously. Then he walked off to deliver the glasses and bottle to a table. Law finished his drink, setting the glass down firmly on the counter, trying to not think so much about the things that still played with the edges of his thoughts. Then he pushed away from the counter and left, not wanting to meet anybody's eyes at that moment.

: :

Sanji had tried to take control of the encounter in the same way he had the first time – approached him with confidence, did all the right things to have Law mindless, but when it came to taking on the main act, Law stopped him there. He did all the things that he'd imagined doing earlier, finding all his bumps and bruises and lavishing careful attention on all of them, as if he could somehow heal them through that. Then he took his time saying all the things Sanji liked to hear, complimenting and showing appreciation for all the physical things he'd verbally expressed. Both of them spoke low and kept their noises quiet – the window was open and they could hear people continuing to have fun out in the street, the revelry filling the night air with activity.

Law moved gently and handled him tenderly, even when Sanji struggled to keep it moving fast and quick. He gave up trying to take back control the more time Law spent on him, and he eventually he took him in with no real defenses, accepting the full act with near mindless abandon.

When he was nearing climax, struggling to get to it with growing desperation, Law stopped moving over him. Sanji opened his eyes, his entire body trembling with effort. He waited for the other man to say something, their sweat beading over their touching flesh, causing them to stick together. He reached up to brush his sweaty hair from his face, to run his fingers through his sideburns, communicating with touch to encourage him to move again. But instead, Law lowered his mouth to his, and Sanji kissed him back desperately, almost breathless with relief and joy because he hadn't asked for it, and it was just as tender and gentle as Law's touches were. Their tongues met and brushed, and Sanji could taste the whiskey and cigarette that he'd had earlier, and he drank it in hungrily, reaching up to pull him close.

Then Law was moving again, and Sanji could only hang on, feeling absolutely lost in the act and the feelings that were there, and he was helpless to fight it. It was consuming and hot and he received Law's quickening thrusts with building vocalization, forgetting about the open window. He held onto him tightly, his legs tightening and suddenly he was shouting as he came, unable to stop himself. His entire body shook, and it felt like he couldn't stop coming – it just seemed to continue on and on and he cried with the force of it, just losing himself to the sensation that kept reverberating throughout his entire body.

He felt the older man bite his neck to muffle his own sound of release, people cheering outside after overhearing Sanji. Afterward, Sanji covered his face and shook and couldn't drum up a single word as the tears kept coming. He felt so foolish, he didn't know why he was crying, but his body wasn't his at the moment, still riding a mindless high that he hadn't experienced, before. His releases had only been the result of his own design, but this was different. Sanji wasn't even sure how to start sorting it out to identify what made it different. He felt Law shifting around, but he lacked any strength to assist.

After awhile, Law wiped his face with a fresh washcloth, kissing him after. Sanji didn't even know what to say. He followed the movement of his mouth with his, finding it hard to breathe, his mind a muddled mess. All he knew was that he liked the way Law stroked his hair and murmured compliments against his ear, and he liked the way he just could not _move_ as the taller man settled against him, his hands all over Sanji's body in a sleepy caress. He fell asleep wondering why Law seemed to be reminding him in that he was not 'a thing.'

: :

The next morning, waking up alone, Sanji went down to the restaurant. He ordered a coffee and then sat at a booth, utterly lost. He wore a bewildered expression.

He didn't understand how anybody could have given him so much attention, and he felt undeserving of it. Sex hadn't been _just_ sex – it wasn't a wrestle for domination, a way for him to find control where he knew he could have it the most; he still had no words for the tender things that had made him feel _lost_. His first motive had just been to get information; his second was having sexual control over the man so they could continue to use him. But this – this was entirely not what he'd planned. Sanji wasn't even sure what this was. That man was starting to make him think, and Sanji did not want to think – he only wanted to keep things moving so the group could accomplish what they needed to. He'd intended on just keeping the games going to keep Law close, especially after confirming what Sanji knew about him, but after this…

He was still shaking as he sipped at his coffee, staring out the window with a stunned expression. Tony approached him with worried features, clutching the straps of his backpack as Sanji finally noticed him. He indicated the seat next to him, smiling, but Tony approached cautiously and peered up at him with worry. He even reached up and felt his forehead, then gave Sanji a frown.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"I'm good! I'm – I woke up in a very good mood," Sanji said, smiling at him before lighting up a cigarette, pulling the ashtray close.

"You just…you're just looking around with…like you're upset. Did you have bad dreams, again?"

"No, entirely the opposite. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Tony coughed into his hands, then wiped them on his shorts. Sanji looked at him with concern, setting his cup down. He reached out to feel the boy's head, drawing his fingers over his cheeks. He didn't feel anything different on the child, but he was finally realizing that Tony had been coughing for some time.

"Have you finished those antibiotics?" he asked, wondering if he should worry.

"Yes. It's okay, Sanji, it's the desert. It's different. It'll dry it out," Tony assured him, digging through his bag.

"Maybe we should take you to the doctor, just in case. We can't risk it. It's too….well, I'm worried about you, now."

"I'm _fine_ , Sanji! But what about you? What are you thinking about, looking so far away?" Tony asked.

"Ah…nothing. Just…reflecting back on the party last night."

"It was great!" Tony exclaimed merrily. "One of the best nights of my life!"

"It's _always_ the best night of your life."

"I've got a short life, Sanji, it is what it is."

Sanji squeezed his cheeks, shaking his head from side to side. "Don't say that. I don't ever want to hear you say that again. You got it? You've got a very long life ahead of you."

Tony jerked his head away, but he didn't say anything more on the subject, demanding pancakes with fruit toppings, instead. When the kitchen worker took their orders, Sanji had trouble concentrating on the subject. Tony looked at him with another worried expression, reaching between them to hold onto his shirt under the table.

Sanji didn't know how to tell him that things were fine – after all, he couldn't talk about the subject to a nine year old. He was just a little sad that Tony had so much concern about him when Sanji was wondering if the boy's lungs were fine at all.

"Where's the others? You're not supposed to be wandering off on your own," he then said, finishing his coffee and scraping the rest of the cigarette out into the ash tray.

"Oh, Luffy, Ace, Kidd and Law went down to the train station to sort a few things out," Tony said. Sanji felt himself flush again, wondering how he was going to face the other man. "Kidd wanted to show them something."

"What about Zoro?"

"Zoro and Ussop are still sleeping. Zoro drank too much, again. Ussop's just lazy. Brook's still sleeping, too. They didn't go to bed until almost three hours ago!"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Sanji assured him, patting the top of his head and looking worried when Tony began coughing again. "How long have you been coughing, Tony?"

"Since we got here to Baltigo."

"We can't risk it. I'm taking you to the doctor, today."

"Sanji, if…if I have the disease – will you - ?"

"You're not finishing that. It's probably nothing. But we can't take risks, okay? Not with you. We can just get you medicine, you'll be all right. But I don't want you saying anything like that, anymore, okay?"

Tony nodded with a heavy exhale, and continued working on his pancakes. Sanji felt some relief in that his appetite hadn't changed in any way, that he wasn't showing any other signs of TB, but he still felt scared nonetheless. He patted the top of his head for reassurance, then looked out the window once more, wondering what he was going to say to Law when he saw him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Because I've been writing fanfics, I lost every time I stepped on the mat with a particular beast. Must – train - harder! Extra long chapter to make up for not writing for this week or six. :D

 **Part Eight**

"They shut down all the trains coming and going to Baltigo until the train wreck is cleaned up," Kidd said, pointing out the detailed notice hanging in the station's center bulletin board. The other guys read it until Luffy sighed with agitation.

"That's too much to read!" he complained.

"Because the transfer rail was deliberately blown up, and the Marines are pissed. Look! Blackleg's bounty went up!" Kidd exclaimed, flipping through his Wanted poster book. "When I left yesterday, there were riders coming up to the wreckage, but they weren't Marines. They weren't hunters. They were too far away for me to look at them closely, but…look, assholes, as much fun as it has been with your little plans to conquer that compound, shit just got real. Now they're going to swamp you, and I hope you've got enough prayers to get through the shit they're going to do to you."

"You're the only one worried about it!" Luffy said with a wave. "But if the trains are down, then the rest of my crew will have to come in by stagecoach. I'm sure they'll be fine. Where's the times for that?"

"Right here," Ace said, tapping a schedule with his palm before covering it with his whole hand and giving Luffy a stern expression. "Now, you stand here and read every single line. _Aloud_."

"You know I have a hard time reading!" Luffy snarled at him. "Just read it for me and get it over with!"

As the brothers argued, Kidd gave them an impatient look before looking at Law. "You're not worried in the least."

"Should I be? If the Marines come, they come. They'll be dealt with appropriately. It's not that big of a deal, I suppose," Law said, reading one of the front pages of a newspaper tacked on nearby. "Oh, look, it's expected to rain, soon. It's almost monsoon season."

"I hate the rain! Tell me, friend," Kidd then said, flipping through his book. "Which one are you?"

"It's weird how you're so obsessed with me."

Kidd resisted throwing the book at him, growling. "Stop! I just want to know your fuckin' name! Luffy said it was 'Law', but 'Law' _what_?"

"Most of the time, when one's asking for a name, they'll give theirs, first. I don't know who you are, you tulip."

"Stop making fun of my hair!" Kidd snarled, grabbing his jacket to shake him. He then shoved him away, Law brushing himself off with a ' _feh'_. "It's Eustass! Eustass Kidd. It's a noble name!"

"It was clearly stolen off a headstone because those pants are anything _but_ noble."

"Oh, _you_ \- !"

Luffy looked back at them with a cheery laugh, hands on his hips. "You guys are getting along great! I'm glad!"

"I just want to know his name and he's not giving it!"

"What are you, five?" Ace asked with a laugh. Hands around his mouth, he called out, "Moooom! He's not telling me his name!"

"Shut up, asshole!"

Luffy looked at Law with a curious expression, then back up at Kidd. "You're so persistent. Can't you see what you're doing to yourself? It's not helping your appearance, any."

"Fine. I don't need to know your stupid name, you're just a stupid nobody, anyway," Kidd said with a huff, looking at the bulletin board once more. "So, now what? Are you just going to stay posted out here in Baltigo, wait for them to hit you? Or move on?"

"We're going to have to talk to everybody about it," Luffy said. "I make my decisions based on theirs. So we'll talk about it later. For now, I suggest that we just relax and enjoy what's here!"

"That is…the stupidest plan ever," Kidd said with consternation.

"I actually agree," Law added, frowning down at Luffy. "At least stay on alert. Those riders might have come this way to see who walked away from it. Were there bodies still on board?"

"No. I saw that Sanji was tossing people, but when I did it, suddenly it was _all my fault_ the train wrecked. But it was just us on board in the end," Ace said.

"Wow, you're a dumb ass. You're lucky no one got killed because of your thoughtless actions!" Luffy scoffed.

Law gave them an impatient look as Ace grabbed him, wrapping him into a full Nelson and banging him against the bulletin board. Both of them cursed and argued and Luffy struggled to get loose.

"They'll be looking for us three, not the rest of you," Kidd said. "I'm a Wanted guy, now, they probably thought I was in on it the entire time! Damn you, Ace, you're a bad influence on innocent guys!"

"'Innocent'?" Ace repeatedly skeptically, releasing Luffy. "Who was the guy fucking up Drum Town earlier this week, robbing people?"

As they argued, Luffy laughing with delight at their exchange of insults, Law saw a handwritten sign near the corner of the bulletin board that looked interesting. He walked up to it, reading it as a Missing poster. There were no photos attached, but the description of a man followed. The more he read it, the more dawning horror fell over him. He was reading a description of himself. The markings at the bottom of the print were those of his tattoos, and he reached up and ripped the paper down, tearing it into pieces, letting it flutter with the hot desert wind.

"What was that?" Kidd asked him, looking over his shoulder, knocking his hat off kilter. "You're the only guy out of this group in the same height range as me. I'm surrounded by shorties!"

"Could you not snuggle up to me like we're more than strangers?"

"No one wants to snuggle with you! You're a string bean with issues! Ace, _c'mon_ man, just for a day. Put on a shirt," Kidd then complained, walking after the other man.

"What an active guy," Law muttered, rubbing at his ear and straightening his hat. He looked at Luffy, who was looking up at him with a wide eyed expression.

"Why _don't_ we know your name?" Luffy asked him curiously.

Law gave him an impatient look. "You never asked! You broke into my house, you read my personal correspondence, and pushed me to come out here, and no one even bothered to ask my name!"

"Well, what is it?"

"Law is fine."

"Those letters didn't even have a return address. Are you hiding like Sanji, too?"

"Yes," Law said carefully.

Luffy shrugged and walked away. "Okay. Good enough for me!"

Law couldn't believe the nonchalance in that dismissal. "At least have a little more suspicion! I could have killed you all!"

"If you wanted to, you would have already. Besides, you help when we need it, and Sanji likes you. Sanji doesn't like men."

"That's…unusual, considering how he conducts himself in the open."

"That's only in the open! And when we're there to watch over him. But he went home with you, so that makes _me_ okay with you. That's all I need to know."

Law thought about the things Sanji said to him the other night, hands in his pockets. _Or just to keep an eye on a possible enemy_?

"Don't get too attached," he then mumbled.

Luffy laughed. "You keep saying that, but here you are, getting comfortable with us! You and Brook make the rest of us feel young, gramps!"

"I'm not that old!"

" _And_ you have a horse!" Luffy paused, then trembled with excitement. "It was so freaking cool how we jumped from the train on him!"

"We could've broken his legs, it wasn't fair for him."

"I would love to be this amazing horse rider, but I smash my balls a lot."

Law choked on a cough, following after the teen as he laughed, walking ahead to catch up with the others.

: :

At the hotel, Luffy stood atop of the piano, hands on his hips. He looked out at his crew gathered in the bar area. Brook was sitting nearby, sorting through sheet music and miming the notes with a viola; Sanji and Zoro were at the bar, Sanji serving everyone drinks with Zoro sitting atop of the counter, nursing a large bottle. Penguin and Shachi were looking over their gambling winnings, having traded it all in for paper money. Ussop sat on a stool, glasses on, drawing plans on several sheets of paper. Tony sat nearby with a pencil and notepad, his arithmetic book out in front of him, Law helping him with an occasional gesture; Kidd sat at a table, taking apart his gloves to provide maintenance; Ace was napping across a table, snoring loudly. Luffy looked at them proudly. It made his chest swell looking over every face and knowing that each one was reliable. He was pleased with all his choices. The only thing that would make it better was the addition of his missing crew members.

"Here's the situation, guys! The trains are no longer running because of the other night, and we're okay with that. So far, we found out four very important things: one, we made them mad. Thank you, Sanji, good work!"

Sanji bowed, then held up a peace sign to Zoro, who looked at him with an annoyed expression before swatting his hand down.

" _Two_ , there were very important people on that train that might be mad because of it. This works in our favor – we're _still_ going to get the fight we were looking for, and then some! Only, they have to come to us. And that's number three!"

"That's not a good thing!" Ussop exclaimed.

"Number three! It wasn't just the Marines on the train, that night. Kidd here says that some sort of meeting! So not only did Sanji dump a train with Marine generals, he dumped a couple of big name bounty hunter guys and some other guys of a huge crime family that was in talks to negotiate a deal with the bounty hunters and the Marines to share the whole thing! So now they're pissed, Sanji."

"Good job," Zoro told Sanji, hitting him with the back of his hand while Sanji winced. No one noticed Law straightening up from the counter with a startled expression.

"Finally, numbah four! The rest of the crew isn't going to make it on time," Luffy finished with a frown. "They have to come into Baltigo by stagecoach, and even then, their times of arrival aren't even reliable, considering how Kidd was robbing everybody on the roads on the way here, so the drivers just don't want to come this way."

"I'm not the only one doing it!" Kidd yelled from a side table, where he was tinkering with his gloves. "And besides, I can't run my crew when I ain't with them! They're still in Drum Town, waiting for me to come back! I can't even contact them because I accidently broke the electric poles over there, so…no telegram to say otherwise."

"Send a messenger!" Ace said, arm hanging over the back of his chair and a yawn following.

"I would, but everyone runs away from me!"

"I bet I can guess _why_ …."

"And that's where we are!" Luffy said, hitting one fist into a palm. "Thoughts? Suggestions? Lunch?"

"We don't want to be caught in Baltigo if they come up this way," Ussop said. "There's too much risk with innocent bystanders getting caught up in the fray. We can't have all those deaths on our hands."

"You guys _kill_ people every night in the saloon," Kidd pointed out incredulously.

"We can move up to this ghost town, but it's further north!" Shachi said, hand up. "It was a gold mine town –small and isolated, but the tracks run right through it."

"That's going to be tough. We need our train operating so we look cool shooting things with the fifty cal," Luffy negated, rubbing his chin.

" _Looking cool_ shouldn't even be the thing, here!" Ace yelled at him.

"We can disconnect the fifty cal to mount it from a buckboard or something, or even set it up from a sturdy porch in town," Ussop mused, fiddling with his ponytail. "It won't be that hard to do."

"We've also got a ton of explosives left over," Penguin added.

"What's the terrain like?" Luffy asked Shachi. "Can a horse run on it okay?"

"Quit including my horse!" Law snapped. "I haven't trained him around my rifle, yet. He's not used to the noise."

"It should be fine," Shachi said. "It's pretty much flat, then it rises up into an incline into the mountains nearby. Those mines are empty, some have collapsed, but if we have to, we can use them, too. The elevation is higher, so it's cooler up there, too, just saying."

"Hey man, what's your rifle look like?" Kidd asked curiously. "Maybe I can modify it."

Law looked at him with a frown. "So at the end of the day I can look like you with a losing weapon? How about _no_?"

"Shut up, dick! I hate you! Weirdo."

Luffy laughed uproariously as Kidd huffed and went back to work. "You guys crack me up! So, anything else?"

"What family are you talking about?" Zoro then asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "And why should it matter?"

"The Donquixote Family from back East is a huge deal back there," Kidd said. "They're run by this huge guy – you guys think _I'm_ huge? This guy's a medical deformity. Anyway, they got control of banks, mining corporations, most of the westward expansion units associated with the railroads, stagecoach lines, _and_ they contribute huge chunks of money to military funding, _and_ supply weapons to anybody interested in buying. They're crooked, everyone knows they're crooked, but they're fat loaded with power and no one will say 'no' to them because when they do, people get disappeared. They work with the Marines because they trade off resources with each other. It gets even messier out here, where law is impossible to establish because of the unclaimed territories, so they're really taking advantage of each other."

Sanji looked at Law.

"There's Doflamingo. He's the leader. He's freaky as fuck, guys, I'm telling you. He's got something unusual going on with him, and that's why people are so afraid of him. I've only seen him once – he wasn't on the train. There's his little brother, Rosinante – dude cut his own tongue out one night, and rumor has it that he knows something that will bring the entire family down if he were caught and forced to talk. That's rumor, anyway. Then there's four executives – Trebol, Vergo, Diamonte, and Pica. Vergo and Pica were on that train, and they were helping with the recruit process. Vergo is an active Marine that works with both them and the damn family. As long as he's in there, he knows everything."

Kidd exhaled heavily, shifting aside metal and wire to fit in new ones. "Anyway, if they're seeking revenge, you've got a shit storm coming because those guys are assholes. That's why I'm sticking around. If you guys got a chance of survival against that combination, then, hey, let's form an alliance."

Luffy laughed. "It's a deal!"

"No, it's not!" Sanji and Zoro yelled at the same time.

"If they're coming, then maybe we should get moving, soon. Once they figure out there were survivors, they're going to send people to look for confirmation," Ussop said with worry. "If they haven't already with all the brawls we've had here. I think we've been lucky so far!"

"We're going to move the party to that place, guys, because if they start sending people, this town's going to go up in flames," Luffy said. "We might kick ass inside a bar, but we're not going to kick innocent people around."

"Load up on supplies! Anything and everything you can get!" Ussop said. "In fact, let's make a list. We're going to need food, matches, warm clothes!"

"Tony needs to see a doctor. He's been coughing," Sanji said.

"Didn't you use all the antibiotics?" Luffy asked with worry, hopping down from the piano.

"Maybe they weren't properly refrigerated when we took them!" Ussop said, rising up from his chair, all of them giving Tony worried expressions.

" _I'm fine_!" Tony insisted, giving Sanji a frown. Zoro reached out and placed a hand on his head to feel his temperature. "I'm fine, it's just a little cough! I don't feel anything else!"

"That's the first thing on the list we take care of. We're not risking it, Tony. You're too valuable to us," Luffy said, hugging him from behind.

"Yeah, if there's anything that doesn't feel right, you need to tell us right away," Ussop said with concern, squinting at him from behind his glasses.

"Is there a pain in your chest?" Law asked curiously.

" _Nothing_! I've been coughing, but it hasn't been bad! It's only the heat!"

"TB bacteria can lie dormant in the body for some time without producing an active infection. It can be treated to prevent the disease from spreading. But the change in climatic atmosphere can cause the infection to activate. If we're moving to a colder climate, you need to anticipate the risk of it getting worse," Law told them.

Kidd mimicked the monotonous tone Law had used, then slammed his tools down. "What are you, a doctor? With that face?"

" _My face has nothing to do with it_!"

"Maybe we'll have to rethink the location," Luffy said with uncertainty. "I don't want to risk Tony getting any sicker than this. There's a cure, though, right, Law?"

"Not yet. Just treatment to prevent the bacteria from becoming a full blown infection. But once the infection spreads, that's it for the patient. You can only make them comfortable. It's best to pay attention to it now."

"We can look into other locations in the area," Shachi volunteered. "I'm sure there's other places we can ride, to."

"Do that. Meanwhile, you sound like an educated dude. Can you please take Tony to a doctor so that he may receive proper treatment?" Luffy asked Law.

"Sure," Law said with discomfort.

"I'll go with you," Sanji volunteered. "I know his background."

"Are we good? Do we all know the plans?" Luffy then asked grandly. "What are they? Sound off!"

"Find a new location so they can fight us!" Shachi said.

"Find supplies!" Ussop called.

"Find the riders," Zoro said.

"Eat!" Ace complained.

"Build some memories!" Kidd contributed with a snicker.

"Find a doctor!" Sanji said.

"Load up on candy!" Tony hollered.

Luffy looked at Law, but the older man was already walking away. He shrugged and put his fist in, everyone adding theirs. "And mine is to make sure you guys do all that! Let's go, guys! We're going to have ballads written about us, yet!"

: :

"I'm afraid, out here, we don't have the treatment you're looking for. It's going to take weeks to submit an order and have it delivered. It would be too late, by then," the elderly man said with a low sigh. He had Tony's hastily taken information on a clipboard, and he'd performed a few tests that verified the infection.

Law stood in the back near the table Sanji and Tony were sitting, noting the hospital's sparse medical supplies, the dingy examination tables and the refrigerated room that held most of the town's medicine. It was a one story spread that wasn't much, and it was a wonder how people even survived injury and illness considering the place's state. It was a huge comparable difference from this place to the hospital he'd worked in himself.

"It's best to take this child back East, where the medicine is more readily available. We've had a high death count of our travellers because of TB."

"That's ridiculous! If there's treatment for it, then you should have it in stock!" Sanji snapped at him, rising from the stool where he was sitting with Tony on the counter. "It's not an unknown disease, every town should have the proper treatment for it!"

"Tuberculosis is a very serious disease, one that we in the medical profession has worked tirelessly in an effort to _contain_ it. All we have right now is an experimental drug, and it has proven fatal in most cases because it does nothing to slow down the infection. It's more of a placebo. While we're aware of the advances in the East, it's impossible to have them delivered to us out here while our deliveries are often robbed, or lost, stolen, or something else. We simply do not have the advanced medical means to support the treatment in this hostile environment," the doctor said apologetically. "Please, I encourage you to take this child up north where they might have the treatment available, or back East, where it is readily available. I'm very sorry."

Sanji then looked at Tony, struggling to find something positive to say. He reached over to ruffle his hair, but he ended up standing to hug him tightly. The doctor stood with his head low, and left the room with the paperwork they'd filled out.

Sanji then looked Law. With some desperation, he asked, "Can't you do anything?"

"I put people back together. I never specialized in infectious diseases. All I knew was that treatment was readily available back there."

"It's okay, Sanji," Tony said quietly. "If nothing can be done, then nothing can be done."

"Don't say that! There's always something that can be done! It's still only just an bacteria, it's not yet a full blown infection, right? We still have time to treat it. If it's only just you and me, we'll have to take a train back there to find you treatment," Sanji said. "We have to look at this with a positive attitude, now, okay?"

Law watched them quietly. He felt a growing pit of anxiety starting to build in the center of his chest, watching Sanji attempt to be positive as Tony looked back at him with an attempt of a smile of his own. There was still time for Tony to find treatment – the virus would linger dormant in his body, more likely to pop up later than sooner if they stayed in the desert environment. But if they moved somewhere where the environment was moist and cold, it could accelerate the process.

He clenched his back molars, watching Sanji's face drop with dread and helplessness as he stood with his face out of Tony's sight. He looked at Law with that expression, and Law knew he'd do whatever it took to get it delivered to them. As they left the hospital, Sanji telling Tony he'd buy him some ice cream, Law went in the opposite direction to the post office. It took some time for him to compose some lines, but once he did, he looked at the receipt he received as a confirmation of the telegram sent. He leaned against the counter with heavy apprehension, feeling his shoulders drooping.

" _Damn_ it," he said to himself, utterly overtaken with the feelings that made everything complicated.

: :

After he returned to the hotel, Kidd was still in the bar area, fixing his gloves. Ace was napping nearby, but there were plates of food around him. Law avoided them, taking the back staircase up to the room. He heard Tony talking to Brook in their room nearby, their door wide open for Law to see them seated on the floor, going over Ussop's plans.

He saw that Luffy, Ussop and Zoro were gone – he overheard Brook telling Tony that they were out looking for people. The other two were at the library, looking up the area for a new location to move to. He found Sanji in the room he shared with Zoro, looking out the window and smoking with a morose expression to his face. Once he realized he wasn't alone, he attempted to chase the expression away with a wipe of his face.

"Isn't there any way you can do anything for Tony?" Sanji then asked. "Don't you have a friend you can write, or send a telegram to, have them send something? I can't stand the thought of him dying because, while we can conquer armies, we can't fucking combat a goddamn infection!"

"I've done what I could. This has been a fuckery from the start."

"If Brook had suggested us to take up space in the saloon down the road, we might've never crossed paths. But we did, and we did for a reason. I'm fairly positive it's because of Tony."

Law couldn't imagine what the reason could be. So far, he was being sucked into a mounting deathwish situation and falling for a man that couldn't possibly 'reciprocate'. As far as he knew it, he had the worst end of it – and yet, he still couldn't make himself leave.

Sanji rubbed the back of his head, still feeling the bump that Zoro had caused. He still hadn't any memory of what had been said between him and Law, and now that he had the chance, he was reluctant to bring it up. But now was the time to clear the air.

He swallowed tightly, struggling to focus on the topic. He didn't want to think anymore of watching Tony slowly die of a lung disease.

He flicked his cigarette out the window, and stood up from the ledge. He couldn't quite think when Law looked at him the way he did. He didn't look at him with the steely calculation Zoro often looked at him with, or the happy, caring faces of the younger group, or the concerned observation that Brook did. Law looked at him as he would with another person, acknowledging him as a person. And Sanji wasn't sure what to do when he couldn't keep the man's eyes hungry when he used seduction to get his way. It was easier to control a man when it was about was sex, but this man threw him off because he could reject him.

So he did away with the act for the moment, sharing a careful distance between them.

"I don't understand what happened last night," he confessed.

Sanji thought he saw the man blush very slightly, those intriguing grey eyes shifting to focus on something beyond Sanji's head. "You said some shitty things the other night. Things that brought back a lot of regret for me. But the point is, we both understand where we met in life before this. In the end, it is what it is."

For a few moments, Sanji processed those words.

"What I didn't appreciate about that night was the way you threw out all the shit I had just started to quiet. Granted, it's all my fault. I don't expect sympathy. But you turned the situation into some sick pick up line, like sex will solve the problem. I understand that the reason we…met…was because of it. But in this situation, it's…it's…something I can't quite label," Law then stumbled, finding it difficult to apply the right word without revealing too much of himself at that moment.

Sanji replayed the memory of their first encounter – he was bleeding from both arms, victim of a knife attack, and while he'd put up a good fight, he had been overwhelmed by a couple of customers. The guards had put a stop to it, but they'd rushed him to the hospital to be patched up. There had been a vicious street battle earlier with many casualties between the police and Doflamingo's numerous henches. So the emergency room was full of shouts, crying and blood as various medical personnel rushed from one subject to another. He'd been sitting on a stool with his bedsheets wrapped around his arms to stop the bleeding, but the material was being soaked and his arms were starting to feel numb, and his hatred and anger were spilling over in the form of tears – he was approached by a couple of men that wore bloodstains on their clothing, and the surgeon set to fix him was an unusual sight.

Back then, Law was clean shaven, his hair cut shorter, but his arms were covered in tattoos that he showed off with plain white scrubs. He had the dangerous attitude and cocky demeanor that the other crooks had. He could've been pulled from the street fight himself and pulled on the scrubs just minutes ago. He was followed by a couple of men in black who seemed to watch every move he made. He was smoking a cigarette, and his face was heavy with disdain. Sanji knew by his demeanor that he would find no empathy from this man.

"I have all these fuckers to clean up, and you bring in someone like this?" he'd asked snottily, looking over Sanji's chart and tossing it away. "Why didn't a nurse attend to him? I have actual blood and guts to put back together."

"They're all over there, trying to save that guy with his head all blown to the side, brat. Just do your job," Jora had complained.

"From the fucking whorehouse? You should've just bled to death. Next time, cut out your tongue like Rosinante did, and maybe you'll succeed," Law then said to Sanji, sitting down in front of him with an impatient sigh, ripping the bedsheets from his arms. Sanji remembered staring at him with fury, his fists balled and his knees jiggling, wanting to land a hard kick to the surgeon's face. But Gladious' grip was strong on his shoulder, reminding him that every move he made was watched closely over.

When Law grabbed his arm with the most meat showing, he made a face. "Well, I've lost my appetite. What'd you do? Miss? _Down_ the street, next time, dumb ass."

"One of the johns brought a friend. For someone his size, he fought them off pretty well," Jora said impatiently. "Can you fix him up, please? He's got to finish the shift. We're short, today."

"Hold him. We're short with the numbing shit. Where the hell is my goddamn staff? Oi! Needle and thread, asshole!"

Sanji clenched his teeth, feeling the hard grip of Gladious. His face mottled with rage and his entire body shook at the feel of the man standing so close behind him. Once Law had the needle and thread he'd asked for, he'd spit out the cigarette on the floor and started sewing up the deepest wound on Sanji's arm, not gentle about it. Sanji stared at the hands sewing him together, trying to distance himself from the pain he was feeling. If he focused hard enough, he could disassociate himself from the moment to feel nothing.

By the time Law had finished up his other arm, someone screamed shrilly in pain next to them. They all looked over to see a man with his entrails hanging out from his midsection walking about, and Law threw the needle aside with a growl, rising up from the stool with a shouted, "What the fuck! Get that shit out of here! There's no saving that guy! Who's screening all these fucktards? I'm not wasting my lunch break on that thing!"

"Doffy spent way too much money on you, you useless, lazy jerk!" Jora yelled at him, before coaxing Sanji out of the stool and wrapping bandages on his arms herself.

That was the first and last time Sanji had seen the surgeon, and the impression had been blurred because everything else had been worse than that moment. Years later, he spotted the man in the bar. There should have been some explosion of fear and anger – but all it took was seeing the expression of a man dealing with his demons, and Sanji recognized that expression on himself, sometimes.

He wasn't quite sure if he'd forgiven the man for his participation – he still had some reserves tucked back there at the edge of his thoughts, but now, he didn't know what to do or think with him. Last night had changed things. He was too afraid to think that somebody could actually have feelings for him – that was a foreign concept.

He looked at the other man closely, feeling a frown pull on his lips. He sat at the edge of the bed, and removed his boots to rub his feet. "I was seventeen when they pulled me from the kitchen at Baratie's. You know, that restaurant a few blocks from the corner? I'd finally made assistant, and I was excited to finally work my way into a position where I could show off my own culinary talent. One day, the chef told me I was being reassigned. He had such a disgusted look to his face that he said he'd go talk to them to clear up the misunderstanding. The next morning I opened up the restaurant to start prep, walked into the freezer and saw him hanging from one of the meat hooks like an animal. There was a note tacked on him, telling me to meet Jora at a certain time and place. Messages like should never be ignored, right? I showed up and heard what they wanted me to do. Turns out one of their top officers had their eyes on me when I'd served them the other night. After that, I stayed in that shithole until last winter, when Luffy decided he was taking me with him.

"Luffy was never a customer," Sanji added with a rue smile. "No, I convinced Zoro to come in one night. But Zoro's a macho man – he got ashamed of himself after the first time, and after that, he just paid me to teach him how to speak English. I didn't mind, of course. Better than what was expected, right? But Luffy tracked him down, found me giving Zoro language lessons, and extended an invitation to have me go with them. When he found out what the house was actually about, he offered to blow it down. I didn't believe him, of course. But here we are."

Sanji sat at the edge of the bed, crossing his ankles. "But that's four years of shit I went through. Four years to convince me that I'm nothing but a thing for other men to use when their wives aren't doing their tasks, right. Four fucking _years_ where I convinced myself that it's easier to manipulate and 'comfort' than to fight every single one of them. Four years of lying to myself, saying I'm the one in control.

"With you knowing all that, why the fuck would you tell me I'm not 'a thing'? Of course I'm a thing! If I had a fucking choice, I'd still be at the restaurant, married to a nice _girl_ with a nice _family_ , but do you honestly think a woman would have me now? Knowing that I'd been with men? _This_ is what it is! I use sex because it gets me where I want to go!"

"Does it still work for you, this day? Is that how you walked away from the compound?" Law asked him.

Sanji's face reddened, and he looked away. But his jaw was stubborn and he lifted his head tightly, saying, "In the end, I'm standing here in front of you, rather than in _there_ waiting for all you dumbasses to come and get yourselves killed."

"And that other night, when everyone went to bed but you're still wandering the halls? Before you came to me? What was that?"

Sanji smirked at him, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling his muscles starting to tense as Law faced him with anger on his features. "Careful, now," Sanji said. "You're starting to sound a little jealous."

"Maybe I am," Law admitted tightly. "Brook warned me not to expect anything from you, but how am I supposed to feel when you're coming up to me all the time with the things you say and do? Do you not think _I_ might be just as starved for attention as you are to keep it?"

"With how much you watch me, haven't you seen me do this to every man within my reach? Besides, it's ridiculous for you to even have feelings for me. We're _men_. Not only that, we're _Wanted_ men – I'm not sure what you're worth, but if you walked away from a certain position high up in the family, I'm betting you're worth more than any of us combined!"

"So you're saying men can't have feelings for each other? That this act that we do isn't right?"

"People get killed for that!"

"Yeah, Bon Clay looked real killed back in Loguetown! And the house you lived in had at least ten males working the floor, including yourself! Don't you dare say this is unnatural, because it isn't! It happens!"

"It's unnatural when you're forced into it! I never gave a thought to being with a man until that first night when I was forced to lay with one! Everything afterward was an act of self-preservation! For you to think that we could have anything like that is _just_ \- ! You can't! Everything I've learned so far in this life is what kept me alive!"

"I understand that," Law forced between gritted teeth, feeling his ears burn with shame.

"Do you? Because I don't think you do! You say I'm fucked up? How fucked up are _you_ if you think I don't resent _you_ for being part of _them_!"

Law was silent for a few moments, looking away with frustration.

Sanji reached out and jabbed at him with a finger. "How am I supposed to make you happy as a man would with another man when I know nothing about it? What makes you think I'd even _want_ to be with one? There is _nothing_ redeemable about me, and there is nothing redeemable about you! What makes you think I can just forget about your entire background? Just – be part of our crew! And when you want to fuck, come fuck with me. But leave your fucking feelings at the door, because there's no use for them, here."

"You're right. There is nothing I can do about my past. There's no fixing it. I just thought – that I could make you feel at least a little something for yourself. It's foolish, now, in hindsight. We are what we are, no matter what we do to try and change it."

"Whatever made you think you could try and change my view of myself after I've lived like this for so long?" Sanji asked him with bewilderment.

"I had someone change my point of view. That's why I'm here. I thought I could try with you because we're almost similar."

"Maybe you should go back to him, then."

Law snorted. But he turned away from Sanji and left the room without saying anything else. He felt foolish and his ears burned with humiliation and stinging rejection. When he walked into his room and shut the door behind him, he removed his hat to fan his face with it. The heat was stifling and nearly unbearable, and he stripped out of his jacket and opened the window in an effort to alleviate some of it. Then he pulled up the chair and sat down, still fanning his face, staring out at the moving world outside the hotel.

" _Fuck_ ," he said to himself.

Sanji continued to stand where he was, his face twisted with emotion. He couldn't quite sort out what he was feeling at that moment, his mind running over everything with confusion. But he straightened his shoulders and went to the window, looking down at the streets below. He chewed at his bottom lip and wondered why he felt so retched.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: *in the midst of my training montage***

 **Reviews: Thank you so much for all your kind comments!**

 **Guest #1: Save what feelings you have – you're going to need them for later. Everything will come to light very shortly :D**

 **Guest #2: Thank you!**

 **Guest #3: Can people change? Let's see if they do D: As for Tony, well….**

 **Chic: Glad to have made your Monday easier!**

 **PREPARE YOURSELVES – very violent action in chapters ahead.**

 **Part Nine**

Early the next morning, Law took Bepo out from the stables and then set him on a course away from town. He'd spent the night awake, hearing the cheer and festivity going on downstairs in the bar, but he hadn't made an appearance. He was still feeling humiliated and small for thinking he could help another person, for having feelings for another man, for thinking he'd ever have a chance at escaping the weight of his past. He kept thinking about the situation between himself and Sanji and found it difficult to feel any sort of confidence in himself at the moment.

He figured getting away from it would help him think more clearly, and he'd left the town to find a nice, open range for some practice shooting. Once they were a distance from the town, the outside spread nothing but a distant glimmer in the horizon, he stopped Bepo, then unloaded his things. He'd brought along a water canteen with some food, ammo and whiskey to pass the time, and he didn't want to leave it on Bepo in case the horse was startled off by the sound of the rifle firing. The morning was starting out nice and cool, with storm clouds gathering in the distance. They'd arrive in the afternoon, bringing with them torrential rain and muddy streets, so he planned on being back by then. The rain was a wonderful relief from the heat, but the ground rejected the moisture, leaving it muddy and impossible to negotiate.

He loaded his rifle, pleased to have it back in his possession. After a quick swig of whiskey from the bottle he'd taken from the bar, he set that aside and then looked over at the horse standing nearby, nibbling on some blossoms. Then he propped the long rifle up into a firing position. When he fired it, the expected crack rang out over the distance, echoing off the rocks nearby. Bepo jerked back with a surprised sound, moving to run before he quickly reached out and caught the reins. The horse reacted with nervous action, prancing about, clearly uncomfortable with the smell of gunpowder and metal.

Law's ears were ringing from the blast, but he figured it was more uncomfortable for the horse. After spending some time petting and reassuring Bepo, he released the reins, then took a couple of paces. He sighted a target in the distance, making sure the horse was watching, the animal taking agitated steps away. When Law fired off another shot, Bepo jerked backwards with a shrill protest before prancing about. The man had to take a few more minutes to reassure him, reflecting back on his horse riding lessons with Rosinante as he did so.

He couldn't help but feel a little bitter at that moment, clutching Bepo's reins and holding the rifle in one hand, wondering why the man had tried so hard for him. There had been many tribulations between him, Law fighting every single effort Rosinante had extended because of his environment, because he'd felt undeserving of such attention. But the man was stubborn and persistent, and even if Law had fought him, at the end of the day, when Rosinante was there to share with him a story or a joke or an injury that needed attention, Law appreciated the effort. When he looked back at his life as a whole, Rosinante had been there at every crucial moment, just being there for him. Protecting him. Sheltering and loving him, and Law only appreciated it after he was gone. He felt stupid for it, now.

Looking back at that tense conversation with Sanji, he just felt stupid. But he wondered if Rosinante had felt the same way, struggling with him. Looking up at the bright blue sky above, grey inching in like ominous tendrils, he blinked sleep deprived eyes and wondered why he lacked control over himself when it came to that man. He'd been warned, he knew it was wrong, yet he'd been powerless to stop himself. Now he looked like an idiot for thinking he could do for someone else the way it was done for him.

Bepo reached back to investigate why the lack of movement on his part, and so Law pushed away from him, reassuring him quietly. He didn't move away, this time, turning and finding the previous target he'd hit earlier, and fired off another shot. Bepo leapt up with a startled squeal, slamming into him as his hooves came down to the dirt, and took off in a dead sprint away from Law.

"No! Come back! _Goddammit_!" he shouted with consternation, watching his horse ride off into the distance. He grit his teeth and looked back towards the storm gathering in the horizon. It would hit the town surely by mid afternoon, and he figured he had that much time to walk back, if Bepo didn't return. With a heavy sigh, he reloaded the rifle, then went and retrieved the bag of supplies he'd taken off the horse. He went in search of shade near some rocks and sat himself out of the sun.

Digging out Sanji's cigarettes from his jacket, he looked at them. He had five left – some brand that Sanji preferred that had a light taste, that wasn't as satisfying as the brand he'd used at the hospital, with the imported tobacco. He lit it with a match then leaned back against the rocks to look up at the sky.

"Like sucking in air," he muttered to himself, watching clouds build slowly against the wide blue. He thought about the telegram he'd sent because he was weak against Sanji's helplessness and slapped his forehead with immense frustration. " _Years_ out the fucking door!"

He had no doubt the message would be intercepted, but he just wasn't sure what to do if a response came, now that he was able to think more clearly. He flicked ashes to the side, a lizard climbing up the rock near him, intending on sunning itself. An eagle took to the air from a nearby cliff wall, screeching as it went in search of food. The heat began to build, and he took another swig of his whiskey, sitting up to look to see if Bepo was going to return soon. But there was no sign of his horse and he still had a lot of thoughts, so he took another swig and relaxed once more, figuring he'd just wait it out.

It was easier to than losing all thought and composure being around that man, adding to the mistakes he'd made so far.

: :

Sanji tapped his fingernails against the wooden ledge, scanning the street below. Palm to face, he looked from one person to the other, waiting to see the one face that everyone had missed from the night before, and during breakfast. He had conflicting feelings about it. With some agitation, he picked a leg up, stretching his heel back to his head. Then reached behind his own shoulders to grasp it, pulling it upward with a stretch. He scowled again out the window, stretching the limb until the muscle no longer felt tight. He repeated the action with his other leg.

Brook snored quietly from the chair in the corner of the room, a guitar laid over his lap. Luffy, Zoro, Ace, Ussop and Kidd had gone off in a wagon Ussop had found in the trash heap at the edge of town, and Shachi was the only one of them that knew how to handle horses, so he'd gone with them to 'drive' the horse to train wreck to check on its progress, and get some information. They'd left been earlier that morning, so Sanji assumed that they'd be back shortly, assuming that any trail they'd found would be washed away by the rain coming in. Penguin was in his room with some secret project Ussop had him working on, so Sanji felt relaxed and comfortable with having backup in the event that something happened unexpectedly.

Penguin had also mentioned that Law's things were still in the room, so it wasn't as if the man had returned back to Loguetown – he was expected back. Sanji recalled the other man's irritated expression in that he and Shachi had no idea when Law had slipped off without their notice – Penguin had mentioned that they were more familiar with the man than Law was aware of. It was an accidental slip – Shachi had elbowed his companion harshly – but when Penguin mentioned that Law was fairly comfortable disappearing for days without communication to others, Sanji had noticed both of them exchanging nervous glances.

Thunder boomed noisily, the smell of rain imminent. The skies had grown dark with a rainstorm promising to destroy the narrow streets, and while people had most of the day to prepare for it, they were still scattered about, hurrying to get the last of their errands done.

He wondered if Law had gone back home. He couldn't help but make a sneering expression, crossing his arms over the window ledge. He replayed the entire over and over again, still struck in that the man thought he was more than a 'thing'. He lit a cigarette, exhaling harshly as thunder cracked, and lightening flashed dangerously close. But rain fell heavily at that moment, hitting the town with immense weight. This time, people scrambled for the inside, their attitudes cheered, grateful for the break in heat. The air was too moist and thick, though, and Sanji worried that it'd affect Tony in some way. He looked over his shoulder, towards the bed. The boy was taking a nap, and while the owner had mentioned that there were no other guests at the hotel other than them, Sanji could hear movement in the hall. He assumed it were the cleaning staff, and continued to look outside.

He looked back out the window, then stood to push against the glass, looking towards the stable where hotel guests could leave their animals. He watched a few riders come in, scanned the horses he could see lingering in the corral, but none were the buckskin that Law owned. He leaned his forehead against the glass with a frustrated expression, drumming his fingers on the ledge, cigarette hanging from his mouth. Slowly bumping his head in rhythmic fashion against the window, he wondered if the man was so sun damaged to even think that there could be feelings involved.

There was just no possible way it'd work – not when he felt he was just a 'used up manwhore', as Kidd said. How were two men supposed to stay together, anyway? Sanji couldn't imagine it – not when the relationships in his life were paid sex only, and, now, that was only on _his_ whim. He couldn't imagine what Law was thinking. Sanji wanted to talk to him more about it – but the man had made himself scarce and Sanji was left struggling to understand it all.

"Sanji, you'll break the window with that head of yours," Brook said with a low yawn.

"I'm just looking to see if the guys are coming back," Sanji mumbled, resting his head against the glass.

"The scrapyards are in the other direction. They wouldn't be over there."

"I'm just looking! Zoro might be lost, again. Moss head son of a bitch."

"You've been looking all day for that face."

"I haven't been looking 'all day' for that man, and there's nothing to say to him," Sanji snapped, pulling away from the glass and then ducking under to drop ashes along the ledge, smashing the heat with his fingers.

"When he comes back, I'm sure he'll let you know when he's here."

"Or just avoid me like he has been doing," Sanji muttered.

"Why would he avoid you?" Brook asked, bewildered as he tuned his guitar.

Sanji was hesitant to say anything, but he flicked the finished cigarette outside. "Grandiose ideas are only unlimited to the imagination."

"I doubt they're that grand. I bet they're very simple and basic. He seems very cut and dry, and knows what he wants when he sets his mind to it. It's not that uncommon for men to be _very_ good friends with each other."

"It's ridiculous! Like I can possibly think of him that way. It's this insufferable heat that gave him idiotic ideas! Oh, this stupid sun is my enemy! I hate it out here," Sanji complained, hanging from the window with frustration. "It's so hot!"

Brook gave him a puzzled look, but was amused with his dramatics. "What's 'idiotic' about him? I think you both get along well."

"It's nothing I want to talk about."

"Anyway," Brook said, satisfied with the sound coming from his fingertips, "I'm sure Zoro will appreciate you looking out for him."

Sanji looked at him oddly. "Zoro? What about Zoro?"

Brook blinked. "Isn't that who we were talking about?"

Sanji growled, hanging out the window, once again looking at the stables. Brook smirked and played a little tune, knowing exactly what the conversation had been about, but since Sanji didn't want to spill, he wasn't going to push. He'd heard enough to make his own judgment on the matter.

When the doorway creaked with a presence, Sanji looked over his shoulder to see who it was that was bothering them. Penguin's face was actually a panicked one, finger to his lips once he saw Sanji, and he shut the door behind him with a terrified air. Sanji hopped up from his chair, wearing a bewildered expression until Penguin locked the door, whispering with barely any sound, "It's _Vergo_!"

"Who?" Sanji asked, unfamiliar with the name. Penguin was moving quickly to barricade the door with the chair that Sanji had abandoned.

All of them froze, looking at the door with pensive action as the sound of heavy footfalls out in the hall caught their attention. The sound of a door being kicked in caused Brook to set the guitar down at his side, withdrawing his gun. Sanji noticed Penguin had his Colt in hand, and he quickly dashed to the bed, pulling Tony into his arms. When the boy started to stir, the sound of another door being kicked in, Sanji shushed him quickly and went to the window. Looking out, rain fell mercilessly, causing the road to build with muddy action. Men on horseback moved about, hastily heading for the stables, and a woman with her umbrella hurried for the general store. Lightening cracked over the skies.

It was a three story drop to the street, and Sanji didn't feel comfortable hopping out with Tony in his arms. He cursed quietly, Tony watching him with his eyes wide, fear causing his features to pale. He held onto Sanji with both arms and his mouth shut tight as another door bounced against the wall, the intruder growing close to their end room. With some resolve, Sanji rushed to the doorway, pushing Tony against the doorframe. The door would swing open in the other direction, but he indicated for Tony to run as soon as he had the chance. Shaking, the boy nodded, balling his hands up in his shorts material before they all listened for the footfalls to settle outside their room. Sanji snatched up the chair that Penguin had propped there, and stood away from the door, waiting for it to open.

Once it did, revealing a very tall man with wide shoulders, a short haircut and sharply pointed sideburns, the door bounced slightly against the wall before he took a step in. He wore a long white coat that didn't look fitting to the desert environment. In fact, it looked as if he'd just emerged from the section of the city Sanji was most familiar with, and it chilled him to the bones, rendering him terrified. Tony slipped out as soon as the man entered the room, causing him to look after the movement – Sanji tossed the chair at him to distract him from the boy, Penguin shooting almost at the same moment.

Vergo crouched, twisting to the side with an arm curled over his head. The bullets seemed to bounce right off his jacket, puffs of dust shooting upward with each impact. As the chair shattered against his frame, Sanji took a running jump, twisting in mid air to land a hard kick to Vergo's face. The man stumbled backward, then crashed into the hall with an awkward misstep. Tony ran down the hall, heading for the stairway. While the doorway was cleared, Sanji motioned for Brook and Penguin to follow.

"Take care of Tony, I got this!" he said hastily to Penguin, who only looked at him with a shake of his head.

"No, _no_ , you can't take that guy on alone!" Penguin insisted, a fearful look to his face as Vergo started rising from the floor.

" _Brook_!" Sanji insisted to the older man, who hurried off without argument, but with a frustrated expression. Wasting no more time to argue with the other man, Sanji turned and faced Vergo as he brushed himself off.

Before Penguin could shoot him again, Sanji prepared to follow up with movement of his own, Vergo slammed into both of them. Neither were prepared for the attack, being tossed right off their feet with the man's tackle. The hallway was too narrow for any free movement, and both hit the ground on their backs, Vergo lunging to the side with Penguin in his grip.

He lurched upward, holding the smaller man with one hand while Sanji struggled to get back to his feet. Visually inspecting Penguin's face, Vergo's own tightened with a sneer.

"I've seen you before," he said, voice rumbling low. "Where was it?"

Momentarily puzzled, but not letting it slow him down, Sanji leapt up with a spinning heel hook that caught the left side of Vergo's face, causing him to stumble and drop Penguin to the floor. Once Vergo caught his footing, he twisted back, blocking the next heel to the face, then lunged forward. Sanji barely had time to force himself to the side, the weight of that fist missing him narrowly by inches. With a roar of courage, Penguin jumped onto Vergo's back, struggling for a choke hold to slow him down as Sanji righted himself to land a hard roundhouse into the man's mid section.

Pain hit his leg at that moment – it almost felt as if he'd kicked a pole. The jacket wasn't only cloth material; there was something more to it. It absorbed the blow, and Sanji took a few stumbling steps to take in the entirely of it. It hung down to Vergo's ankles, the collar high, the sleeves just long enough to hide his arm. With frustration, as Vergo straightened to throw Penguin off him in a judo toss, Sanji kicked him in the thigh, receiving the same reaction as earlier.

"That jacket needs to come off!" he said in frustration, Penguin rolling some distance away from them before he caught himself and jumped up into a defensive position.

"You're welcome to try and take it off," Vergo said. He stood tall, brushing himself off. Thunder rumbled over the hotel, rattling the walls. "Blackleg. Where is Portugas and Kidd? The rest of your crew's location would be lovely, as well. That way, we don't waste too much of our time here in this shit town."

"You can bet you're not leaving here once they show up," Sanji promised him. "So why don't you take a little time to appreciate life, now?"

Vergo's lip curled slightly. " _Cute_."

He then shifted deftly as Penguin shot at him again, Sanji jerking out of the line of fire. Protecting his head with one arm, Vergo looked in the direction of the other man as he hastily reloaded his weapon.

"And you…now I remember," he said tightly. His jawline twitched as he straightened, turning in Penguin's direction. "You're one of Rosinante's little house servants. So far from home, how did you wind up here?"

Sanji gave a confused expression, wondering if their group had been betrayed, secretly monitored by the family. Then he changed that – what if it were Law himself that had been monitored the entire time?

Penguin growled, setting himself to shoot again. "Got on the wrong train home, one night. So what?"

Vergo's mouth set, and he gave an uneasy shift of his weight from one foot to the other. "I'll ask you more in detail after this. Don't run away."

Sanji barely pulled his leg up to block the wide kick Vergo threw in his direction. The clash of their shins caused a loud clacking sound, but Sanji absorbed the blow, thrusting his knee downward to shift Vergo's balance and kicked with a quick hook at Vergo's face. Vergo adjusted to the move, twisting around so that Sanji's boot bounced off his shoulder, and swept up with an elbow into the still airborne man. Once he caught Sanji, he followed that sweep into a hard shove to push the man away. Sanji rolled head over heels until he caught himself with a frustrated growl.

Penguin fired at him, causing Vergo to defend with an arm over his head. Counting the amount of shots fired, he began advancing on the other man. Penguin dropped the gun, making a face before he tossed himself desperately to the side. Vergo's foot slammed through the wall where Penguin had been standing, and he reacted with a panicked shout as he scrambled to his feet, Vergo jerking a few times to get his foot unstuck.

Lurching once more in their direction, Vergo lifted his foot to fake a low kick, causing Sanji to react with a check, preparing himself to take the blow. But with a quick flip of the foot, Vergo brought his leg up higher, and Sanji kicked out with a counter thrust kick while pushing his back near parallel to the ground just to avoid the head shot. Moments after connecting with the bigger man's hip, he ground the ball of his foot to support himself while lunging upward with a heel to Vergo's chin. The man was caught off balance, absorbing the blow with a muffled noise, stumbling back. Sanji touched back down onto the floor, then lunged forward to launch a series of spinning hooks and overhead axe kicks that caused Vergo to cover himself with a frustrated curse.

He set one heel back, falling into a deep lunge, Sanji twisting away with a wobbly back handstand to reset himself. Then Vergo launched forward with his own attacks, throwing his bigger body into each punch and side kick, causing both men to scramble out of range. Penguin stumbled on something on the floor, falling awkwardly, so Sanji shifted over to defend him, catching a downward hammer fist with both arms across his face.

The sheer weight behind the punch caused his own legs to buckle, and he ended up sitting on the other man briefly before throwing himself into a forward roll, kicking out to catch Vergo in the face. Vergo twisted to catch him, sweeping his legs out from underneath him before stomping a booted foot down onto Sanij's, trapping him from movement. Desperately, Sanji tossed his other leg up, checking one of Vergo's downward kicks, pushing off that to jam his heel into Vergo's crotch. That impacted the man tremendously, his body absorbing the blow, causing his face to purple and sweat. He stumbled backward with a furious curse as Sanji climbed to his feet, Penguin looking at him with desperation from the other side of Vergo.

"Go find the others!" Sanji shouted at him.

But the other man shook his head repeatedly, reloading his gun. " _I can't do that_!"

Breathing harshly, Vergo slammed his own back against the wall, struggling to maintain his temper. Hands on his knees, he waited for the pain to fade. But his face was sweaty with effort, and his face looked menacing as he twisted his head to look over at Penguin.

"Doffy will be displeased to know that his little brother is keeping secrets from him," he said.

Penguin had no response to that, but he looked quite terrified.

Then Vergo caught his breath and he ground out, "Trafalgar is here, isn't he? _That's_ the only reason why. That has to be it. The young master will be pleased that he's finally found him."

"And that's why you're not leaving here alive!" Penguin exclaimed, lifting his gun to shoot.

Vergo was on him in moments, the gun knocked out of Penguin's hand. He blocked each punch and kick with similar speed and effect, even throwing his own when he had a chance. While fast, he wasn't as strong as the other man, and so Sanji shot forward to assist, seeing that they were nearing the stairway. With a wince, he poured on the speed as Vergo tripped Penguin to the floor, lifting a fist with an enraged roar. Sanji leapt forward, reaching down to grab a hold of his jacket collar as he took to the air. With a grunt and hard grip of his own, he flung his lower body towards the floor, catching Vergo completely off balance. Penguin assisted grabbing Vergo's collar and kicking upward to help Sanji propel Vergo forward over them, both of them somersaulting effectively tossing him into the stairway with Vergo's assisted movement.

Penguin caught Sanji from following, Vergo crashing down the stairs with a hard roll, slamming into the landing. The force of the action caused him to break through the wall, dust flying everywhere.

"Let's go! Before he gets back up!" Penguin urged, pulling Sanji back to his feet and running for the other stairway on the other side of the building. Sanji followed, hoping Brook got Tony out of danger, wondering where the others were. As they descended the other staircase, racing for the first floor.

"Rosinante sent you?" Sanji had to ask. "To do what?"

"Uh, well…it's kinda complicated. It sucks it came out like this. But we really need to make sure he doesn't tell Doffy – I mean, Doflamingo, that Law is here. Rosinante will be killed!" Penguin said fearfully.

"I don't understand!"

"It's complicated!" Penguin exclaimed breathlessly, leading the way down to the first floor. They started moving towards the lobby exit when they noticed that most of the staff members were lying on the floor, or slumped over the front desk. The front doors themselves were barricaded shut, and Penguin tried not to panic. He shifted gear to the restaurant, but that was in the same state. The staff members that had treated them so kindly were lying dead behind the counters. The doors to the restaurant were shut and locked, and through the large windows they could see lightening flashing, rain pouring down in sheets. The street was slick with mud, and thunder caused the windows to vibrate and shake.

"Shit!"

"Brook? Tony?" Sanji called in panic, running to the bar and finding one of the bartenders lying dead by some tables. He heard a sharp tapping sound that caused him pause, Penguin shifting away with a bewildered look around him, searching for the cause of the noise.

Then Sanji looked down at the floor with a relieved expression. He moved away from the bar, waving at Penguin to follow. Once Penguin realized that Brook and Tony were hiding in the alcohol cellar below, he said nothing and followed after Sanji.

Vergo burst away from the staircase with an enraged roar, slamming into Sanji as he was moving past it. Both of them rolled away from the stairs, hitting the end counter of the bar. Penguin dashed after them, jumping onto the man's broad back with his arms curling around his neck. Vergo straightened and kicked Sanji in the ribs, causing the blond to roll, catching himself against the bar stools. Then Vergo reached up and used both hands to rip Penguin away from him, slamming him back first into the floor with a mighty yell. Penguin threw up a blocking kick to keep Vergo from stomping his face in, kicking outward and sending Vergo off balance for a brief moment.

Sanji tossed one of the bar stools at him before launching in a spinning series of kicks from the floor, using his hands to support himself before rolling over one shoulder, then another, keeping Vergo moving away from the bar. Penguin picked himself up with a strained action before launching over the counter to look for the shotgun he knew was stashed back there.

Once he had it, pumping it once, he ran out to assist Sanji as he had Vergo on the defense. Sanji saw he had the weapon, and rolled out of the way as Penguin blasted him. Vergo was caught off guard, too slow to raise his arms to protect his head, so he jerked backward, twisting so that he caught the last shot with his back. Penguin hurriedly returned to the counter to find more shells, Sanji jumping back to his feet and preparing to launch once more.

Vergo flung a fist outward, causing Sanji to jerk back, the jab followed by a hard follow through that caused his fist to sink through the wall behind Sanji. Sanji crouched low, rolled between his legs, and then kicked both knees inward, forcing Vergo to crumble forward, his fist still stuck in the wall. Sanji scrambled up his back, wrapping his legs around his waist and locking his arms around his neck, in the same manner Ace had him in on the train.

Vergo growled and cursed, rolling to his front, Sanji clinging onto him with determination. Once he realized the other man could easily pull his arm away, his upper body strength considerably weaker than Vergo's, Sanji released his waist and rolled over his one shoulder, pushing himself out of Vergo's reach.

Vergo lurched at him, Sanji leaping easily over him, rolling over his own shoulder again over the man's back. Moments before Vergo hit the wall, he bent, reaching outward past his opposite foot, rolling effectively on his shoulder before hitting the wall with his back. He used the support to lunge upward, throwing a roundhouse that Sanji ducked, evading backward, and once Vergo's leg continued to swing him around, he followed up with a hooking back kick that knocked Sanji to the floor. Sanji hit the floor on his side, checked the incoming knee that Vergo jumped into him with, and heaved himself up and over, kicking out just to keep Vergo off balance, tossing him over his head.

Vergo slammed to the floor on his knees, and looked up with a start once he realized Penguin had the shotgun reloaded. He grabbed the barstool Sanji had used on him earlier and tossed it, using the distraction to have Penguin moving for a better angle to shoot. Once he did, the blast followed by thunder outside, Vergo had already sidestepped into a better position, kicking outward with one long leg and catching the man point blank in the face.

Penguin slammed against the bar counter with an undignified noise, head cracking against the counter that made Sanji wince. Sanji threw himself into a handstand, then twisted, forcing Vergo to back away once he had to guard himself from Sanji's kicks. Sanji grabbed the shotgun Penguin dropped and sat, using the last shell as Vergo righted himself.

 _That fucking jacket_! He thought with frustration, scrambling to reload the gun. Vergo charged with a hard sweep that forced Sanji to jump up just to avoid it, throwing himself out of the man's reach before Vergo could steady himself. But much to his horror, Vergo started kicking the unconscious man against the bar. Once Vergo determined that Penguin wasn't moving, he reached down and grabbed his shirt, pulling him up to rain down vicious punches onto his limp head.

Sanji threw himself against the man, all three of them tumbling over. He scrambled to pull Penguin's shirt out of Vergo's grip, but the man had already determined how he was going to win. He held tightly onto the material, and when he couldn't reach Sanji, he continued to beat Penguin's unconscious form with his fist, stomping on his torso when he had the right angle.

Sanji leapt in once more, trying desperately to get Vergo away from Penguin. He drove his shin right into the side of Vergo's face, knocking him back. Once he released Penguin, Sanji leapt straight up and twisted, catching Vergo twice in a downward kick with both legs. Once he touched down on the ground, he released a heaving exhalation and sent all his power into one final whipping kick into Vergo's midsection. The man went tumbling into the bar tables, scattering chairs, cracking his head off one of them.

Panting for breath, Sanji waited for him to make another move. But Vergo lay on the floor with no other movement, and so, with a tentative glance at the floor, he quickly scurried over to Penguin. He checked for a pulse, his hand shaking as fear and adrenaline made it difficult to form a coherent thought. He crouched to pull the man up, so he could wrap his arms around his mid section, intending on using his legs to push themselves both up into a standing position.

But then he felt movement behind him, and whipped his head around to see pieces of Vergo's last meal scattered on his trimmed sideburns and on his cheek. It was distracting to see that the man had what looked like sauce on the side of his mouth – mainly because it seemed completely out of place with how neat and tidy his appearance was. It also distracted him from seeing the hard right hook Vergo slammed into his midsection, causing him to drop. Both him and Penguin hit the floor in a heavy tangle, and as pain took his breath away, Sanji covered up his head in a desperate bid to keep Vergo from hitting him.

The man stood over him, raining down hard punch after punch, and if he missed Sanji, then he was punching Penguin. Fear began to overcrowd Sanji's instinct, tangling into his concentration. With how dire the situation had grown, leaving him alone and vulnerable with a man that clearly overpowered him, he started to lose focus, and felt his body automatically start to shut down with dread. He struggled against that overwhelming fear, pushing back against the other man and threw an elbow, managing to catch Vergo's arm. Once that caught, he kicked out, using his heel to stomp on the man's inner thighs, driving him back away from them. Then he hooked a foot in Vergo's jacket, pushing upward to support his own shoulders on the floor, reaching out to grab both of his ankles. The length of his leg slipped up the front of the man's body, where the toe of his boot caught onto the collar. Vergo gave a surprised noise, pausing in punching to try and grab his leg outside his coat. With his other foot, Sanji swung as hard as he could into his balls once more, the move forcing Vergo down with a strangled noise. But his first foot was still caught, and Sanji jerked that leg in a downward drag, managing to loosen the jacket's zipper. Once Vergo started falling, hands going to his balls to cover up, Sanji let go of his ankles, twisted up with Vergo's fall forward, and grabbed the zipper with a free hand.

Vergo hit the floor, causing slack in his jacket. Sanji finished unzipping the thing, throwing his other leg up and over Vergo's shoulder so that his shin wobbled over the man to allow him a hooking kick in the face. Twisting away once more, Sanji kicked him hard enough to separate the both of them away from each other. Vergo flopped over on his side, and he had enough space to slip away freely.

The man's face was purpled with rage, trying to tend to two injured areas at once. But his jacket gaped open, and he needed two hands to fix it. Both hands were occupied, so he laid over the floor with his chin to the wood, and Sanji scrambled for the shotgun nearby. Once it was reloaded, he set himself and fired at him again.

Forced to move, Vergo twisted away so that he could use his back as his main shield, but he had to move in a different way as Sanji had one more shell to go. But he snarled with rage; not completely recovered. He heard Sanji pump the shotgun, reached out, and grabbed Penguin once more to use as cover.

Sanji gave a frustrated noise, then charged at him, Vergo twisting to hold Penguin in front of him, but turning so he could face him. Then he shoved the man forward, Sanji leaping over with an extended leg out, ready to whip into him. Vergo roared as he lunged up, catching his shin to his jaw, but pressing forward anyway. He ensnared that leg to him, pulling forward while throwing out an elbow. Sanji ducked the hit, used the hold to throw his other leg up, intending on another ball smash.

Vergo managed to check the kick in time, bringing his own knee up and over to block the incoming aim, using gravity to fell them both. Once in a mount position, Sanji reacting with a panicked struggle as the man sat over his hips, Vergo lifted onto his knees and began punching downward. Sanji covered his head, but Vergo only shifted his punches from his head to his torso, and the blows were enough to take his breath away. He couldn't help but make pained exhalations, clenching his teeth tightly so he didn't cry out so loud, but most of the noises were involuntary with the force Vergo used.

With a roar, Vergo adjusted his punches to hooks and hammers, intending on making him pay for all the damaged he'd received so far. Sanji struggled to buck him off, to twist and pull out from Vergo's weight, but the man was far too heavier than him, stronger, and the position was terrifying. His mind kept blasting him with fear, telling him over and over that this was only the beginning, and he couldn't shake out of it to think clearly. All his body knew was that there was a powerful man on top of him, and he gave a distressed noise, trying to fight the fear that threatened to leave him senseless.

Vergo kept landing hits and he was powerless to stop them, kicking uselessly as Vergo batted his head when Sanji's arms slipped. His punches didn't seem to lose power or speed, and by the time Sanji realized he couldn't escape from the mount, his mind started to speak for him. A sound that started as a whimper turned into a shout of distress and suddenly he dropped his arms from his head and began reaching out with his hands in an effort to push the man off him. That was all he wanted at that point – the punches didn't matter. He couldn't think defensively at all; he just reacted, shouting out with fear and anxiety. When Vergo shifted slightly to land a couple of overhand punches, he started to scream, his mind caught up with previous attacks.

Somewhere in the midst of Vergo's attack and curses, Sanji heard a child's cry of distress, and Vergo stilled in mid-punch, catching the sound as well. He scanned the bar area with a curled lip, Sanji struggling to catch his breath and pushed uselessly at the man's thighs around his hips. But he'd heard Tony – both him and Brook were able to hear what was happening, and he felt panic and horror ice his blood as Vergo attempted to locate where the sound came from.

Vergo grabbed him by the throat and squeezed, Sanji forced to grab that hand and yank his head back in order to breathe, but Vergo lifted his other fist and prepared to bring it down, growling out, "You're wanted alive, but I'm sure this one time I will be forgiven! After I'm done with you, I'm going to find that kid and send him after you!"

He paused for a moment, instinct ringing. Then he lurched off Sanji just as the wall behind him exploded, wood shattering everywhere. Sanji coughed and fought for breath, curling over in a shaking ball once Vergo pushed away from him. He struggled to get his head back on, still caught up in such intense fear and horror over what just happened that he couldn't think. Glass from one of the restaurant side windows shattered, and he felt relieved that backup had finally come. Part of the bar exploded as Vergo hid behind it, moving once he watched the liquor storage shelves shatter, dropping bottle after bottle of alcohol to the floor around him. He ran the length of the bar with a frustrated curse, then was knocked right off his feet by a well timed aim.

He hit the floor with a pained snarl, his shoulder burning. Heaving for breath, Vergo realized that the bullet had shot through the counter, bypassed his coat, and embedded deep within the muscle of his deltoid. He seethed as his arm went numb, clapping his other hand over the wound as he waited for the shooter's next move. He'd counted four shots, but with his ears ringing, he was confused by the weapon discharged. He thought there would be two shooters with two rifles of their own, and cautiously peeked over the counter to see if this was true.

He saw the shooter reloading his long rifle, the brown hat obscuring his face for a moment. After that, he was pulling Sanji out of the ball he'd curled up in, saying something low and intense that had Sanji grabbing onto him with desperate action, clinging against him tightly. The movement knocked his hat aside as he helped Sanji to his knees, and he patted his back with some comforting action before dropping his hold on him to focus in the direction of the bar.

" _You_!" Vergo snarled, leaping over the counter and twisting into a snapping kick that he intended to connect with Law's ribs. But the man shifted his long rifle over the length of him as a shield, Vergo's shin connecting with the barrel that caused his leg to twinge, almost as if he'd connected with the corner of a wall. He took a step back and threw a hooking punch, followed by a hard right, but both knuckles connected with the weapon as well, Law blocking them effectively with his weapon before twirling the rifle into a position where he swung and connected with Vergo's wounded shoulder, the larger man jolted into taking several steps away from him.

All of his movements were small, Law taking only a slide and lift of a foot to perform them as he'd done with Zoro. Sanji was still at his feet, still trying to get his mind together to move out of the way. Before Vergo could resettle and launch an offensive, Law had the weapon back in position and Vergo had to cover up, the punch hitting him just as it did from behind the counter. He eked out a pained curse as he felt the bullet penetrate his coat, and he stumbled away clumsily, holding onto his thigh as it began to throb with discomfort. He dragged his leg as he set distance between them, his hand coming away with his own blood.

"Bastard! Where are you getting your ammo?" he snapped, looking over at him. His hat had fallen off during the scuffle, allowing Vergo a confirmation of his discovery. Looking years older than when he last saw him, this man was skinnier, his skin colored by the sun and there were definite lines in his face caused by the harsh environment; but it was still him. "So, you come out from hiding, eh? I'd tracked Rosinante's letters throughout this area without any success of finding your exact location. The fact that he was trying to hide you will be cause for concern for Doffy."

"Well, in that case, what makes you think I'll let you go back to tell him?" Law asked, reloading his rifle as he followed Vergo's movement, stepping around Sanji so that he could continue to cover him.

"I've worked years for the Marines, and engaged in hundreds of battles – I've more survival experience than you. I will leave here intact and - !"

He barely covered his head in time, sidestepping, but the bullet hit him in the neck, exiting the meaty part of it with such force that he heard the sound suction it made as muscle was forced open and apart. The bullet embedded into the wall across the bar, causing Vergo to breathe heavily with shock and dismay.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, save the villainous dialogue for someone who gives a fuck. Now, stand still. I was drinking all day, today, my sight's a little off," Law said.

"Little shit. Days in the desert still hasn't taught you to talk to your elders with any respect!"

Vergo then twisted low, moving fast, noticing that Law's reaction time did seem a little slow. He was going to use it to his advantage. He lunged to the left, then right, and shot forward as the barrel of Law's long rifle dropped slightly as he struggled to keep up with Vergo's movements. Vergo lunged at him, so he dropped his hold on the barrel and twisted it ever so slightly, just enough to use his knee to prop the stock to support the barrel to catch Vergo's overhead punch. His knuckles bounced off the gun, and he righted himself to throw a series of combinations that Law blocked with his weapon, the movement difficult when Sanji was still at his feet.

Once Vergo took a breath to start over, Law kicked him in the wound on his thigh, nearly causing him to crumple. But Law used that as support to jump away from him, swinging the stock up and over his head to chop downward. Vergo blocked the incoming weapon with a raised forearm, the jacket catching most of the blow. He jerked to the side, and lunged forward with another right, whirling with a fast elbow to the face when he touched metal, instead. He shifted his combinations so fluidly and quickly that his jacket snapped with movement, nearly entangling with his step range as he attacked Law.

But the man blocked each and every one of his efforts with his rifle, then handled the gun as if it were a bo-staff to strike him from a distance away, the infuriating length and heaviness of the gun causing Vergo trouble whenever he connected with a bloodied wound. He ducked low to wind up with an uppercut and once he threw it up, missing the man by inches as he shifted his body to the left, Vergo followed with an elbow that sliced down sharply. It hit metal instead, and he shifted to stand, Law using his rifle as a min vaulting pole to push up and roll right over his shoulder, landing a kick to his back to knock him forward.

Only Vergo snapped to the side with an awkward twist as his jacket caught. He attempted to pull it back, but suddenly he was free, landing on the floor with a quick set of his palms against the wood.

He looked back, seeing that Sanji had used the moment to jerk his jacket off one arm, settling himself with his weight on the floor so that Vergo couldn't shrug it back on. Vergo saw Law setting himself up for another shot, and gave a growl of frustration. He twisted his covered arm over his head, forced to drag the other man's weight along.

" _Now_ , you'll make me draw my weapon?" he asked with irritation, grabbing a hold of his Spencer carbine, revealed on his thigh. He twisted and fired a couple of times, forcing Law to take cover, the area ringing with the blast, Sanji wrapping himself in the free material of the jacket and slamming back to back against Vergo.

He roared with outrage, unable to drop hold of his gun and reach for the blond at the same time. He pointed the rifle over his shoulder and fired once, but Sanji used his jacket to cover up, feeling the bruising impact against the side of his head. But he was safe, and he would be if he kept himself wrapped in the jacket.

" _Shoot him_!" he yelled out for Law, who saw the position with dismay, drawing his rifle up.

"I'm going to hit you, too!" he yelled back, Vergo twisting to shoot him, forcing him to duck behind a table.

" _Just shoot him_!"

Half exposed, Vergo was vulnerable. The tall man twisted about with frustration, trying to pull enough of his jacket off Sanji to shoot him, but Sanji had himself wrapped so tightly in the material that only Vergo's left arm was covered. Vergo crouched low to accommodate Sanji's height, using him as the cover to keep Law from shooting him. Sanji twisted himself as tightly as possible within the jacket, standing with his shoulder against his back, trying to make himself a thinner target.

Seeing that he had no other choice, Law stood, Vergo shooting in his direction with a curse. He twisted quickly, supporting the rifle upon his arm and shooting Vergo in midsection. He was relieved when the exiting projectile hit the counter beyond them, which let him know he'd missed hitting Sanji. Vergo cried out with pain, but Law fired again as he hit Vergo in the same spot, the man crumbling to the floor with a wounded scream. Sanji went with him, both men tangled as Law hurried over. He kicked the carbine out of Vergo's hand, then kicked him over, so he could help yank Sanji away from him.

As Vergo hunched over in mortal pain, arms over his stomach as blood pooled around him, Law reached down and hastily patted Sanji's back, looking for injury. But the man appeared fine, crawling away with a pained expression over to Penguin and wearily sitting down. Law returned his attention to Vergo, looking at him with scorn.

Vergo coughed blood, the deep color spilling over his skin and neck, coloring what was left of his jacket caught on his shoulder. But he rolled over on his back and breathed with effort, looking up at Law with a slow curling lip. He lifted one bloodied hand, pushing the air as he spoke, then held his hand up in a stopping gesture.

"Hope you enjoyed your time, here," he gurgled, coughing to clear his throat. When he did that, he wiped his ears. "They know you're here, now. I'm not the only one out here. You'll pay for what you did to Trebol and Diamante. Doffy will make sure of it."

Law stared down at him for a few moments, reading the random gestures as signals to another person. He had to be careful with his words. "I haven't wasted any time worrying about it. But I guess it's time to face up with what I've done, but when it comes to Trebol and Diamante – well, I can assure you, I haven't lost any sleep after what I did to them."

"They suffered tremendously because of you! We watched them die like dogs! You killed Trebol, you might as well as severed one of Doffy's own limbs from him yourself."

Suddenly the bar area was filled with Law's laughter. Vergo growled, fingers tightening over his own wound. The escaping noise was more hissing air than actual vibration of sound, his face filling with rage.

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that," Law said with a chuckle. "But to hear you talk about them like they didn't deserve anything less than what I did to them, makes me a little irritated. All of you should die the way that they did. Painfully, slowly, and with as much time as possible to think about what you did to people on your way up."

"You think you're any better?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I'll accept whatever comes my way, but it won't be by your hands. Or Doffy's. I assure you, that."

"Hiding out here in the desert like a coward!" Vergo sputtered once more, choking on the thick substance that continued to build up. "Rosinante attempted to save you time. Those little house servants of his, I should've found first. I should've sent him their heads. He would have found his tongue then."

Law looked over at Penguin with little surprise, Sanji sitting next to him with a weary expression as he listened to the exchange. He heard a door open slowly from somewhere below, but since Sanji didn't react negatively to it, he let it go.

"Doffy will be very displeased once he realized his own flesh and blood conspired against him. Tell me, as I lie dying, did he arrange their deaths? Is this something he did on his own? Both of you conspiring against the family?"

Law recalled the day Rosinante signed him a suggestion to end the two men's lives. He remembered feeling scared – not for himself, but for him. He didn't know why Rosinante had done so, but he wasn't going to question at that moment _why_. Rosinante's suggestion, given with no hesitation, had been a relief.

"I just felt like it," he said instead, answering none of Vergo's questions.

The other man sputtered a weak chuckle. "Rosinante's pet dog thinks he has a voice. Did you ever stop to consider that the man might've groomed you to do what he couldn't do himself?"

It had crept through his thoughts. But he didn't believe it. In the end, Rosinante had been his savior.

He looked down at Vergo for a few moments, to hearing the soft step of Brook leaving the alcohol cellar. He glanced over his shoulder to see the tall man emerge with a very scared Tony in his arms, and the boy lunged from Brook to Sanji with a wild cry of emotion once he saw the other man's injuries. It didn't look like the boy was hurt in anyway – just scared. It gave him some relief. Vergo coughed a few times, and Law grit his teeth as he returned his attention to him.

"I have a few questions of my own. And you're going to answer them," he said, feeling a malicious grin pull at his own lips.

"Fuck that!" Vergo spit at him, his face displaying a sudden show of fear.

"Get him out of here. I need to talk to this man," Law then said to the others, indicating Tony.

"You're going to keep whatever it is you need to a know a secret?" Sanji asked him shortly. "Shouldn't _we_ know?"

"Sanji…you alone know what I was used for. I intend on using my own method to getting the answers I'm looking for. You want him to stay and watch, then make yourselves comfortable. Make sure he doesn't die," Law then said to Brook, who gave him a bewildered look as he removed his jacket, heading for the kitchen.

" _What_?" Brook asked with confusion, looking after him to Vergo with consternation.

With a flustered expression, Sanji indicated for Brook to take Tony's hand. Then he crouched to once again pick Penguin up from the floor, Brook helping him so that he managed to settle the man over his shoulders. "Let's go to the hospital so we can apply aid."

" _But_ \- !"

"It'll be fine, it's over, now, okay? Keep your mouth covered when we go outside," Sanji then told Tony once Law returned with a heavy pot full of utensils and a bottle of 80 proof alcohol. He watched his actions with some rising horror, Law returning to the counter. Sanji couldn't take his stunned eyes off of him as Law wrapped his own jacket around Tony to protect him from the rain outside.

"Keep him out of the rain," he then told Sanji, his grey eyes coursing over the blonde's face with careful action. Sanji reached out to touch him, to say something, but when Law saw the movement, he was quickly out of reach.

Sanji couldn't think of anything to say, but he then turned and pushed Brook into movement, following after him with some difficulty.

Brook heard Law dump the items he'd found in the kitchen near Vergo's prone form. Various kitchen knives, tongs, a baster and a cookie sheet clattered to the wooden floor. The once dangerous man tried to lunge up to get away, but the wound in his stomach was too great and Law prevented the moment by kicking him in the stomach with an order for him to settle down. Brook urged Tony to run, the boy looking back with horror as he clutched the jacket tightly around him.

Once he heard them leave the building, Law then looked over at the staircase, Vergo's pained sputters and breath being the only sound in the area. Then he crouched over Vergo with the bottle of alcohol, uncorking it. Still looking at the staircase, he upended the liquid into Vergo's mouth, then held his jaw shut and nostrils blocked so the man could swallow it all. Vergo grabbed uselessly at him, but Law waited until he was sure he'd kept it down. Then released him.

He heard the creak of sound, then, the signal that they weren't the only ones in the building. He set the bottle aside, then, reaching for a set of knives.

With some effort, boot on Vergo's shoulder, he straightened one arm out and then systematically stabbed the knives through the man's arm to pin him to the floor, causing him to scream, thrashing violently before the wounds in his stomach settled him.

The staircase creaked again, and so Law repeated the action with the other arm. Then he straightened up, removing his gloves, rolling up his sleeves. He then picked up a paring knife, testing the sharpness of it by drawing it over his palm.

"It's a little dull, but I don't mind. First incision will be here, then here, then here," he said, crouching next to him and drawing a finger below his collarbone, then traced down his sternum, to his stomach. "By the time I get to _here_ , the alcohol should kick in. But it's only so you'll stick around a little longer, not because I'm being merciful."

He reflected a moment on Vergo's angry facial expression, then added, "Don't worry, I'll make you look exactly like your friends, just so you don't feel left out. _Pig_."

"Impudent shit! I can't stand by, anymore!" came the high pitched scream from atop of the staircase. When the sound of metal clicked into place, Law dropped the knife, grabbed the bloodstained jacket Vergo had been wearing, and wrapped it over himself as he heard the first click of the Gatling gun set.

The bar counter burst under gunfire, exploding bottles and causing mirrors to shatter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part Ten**

Ussop worked diligently to center the fifty cal onto a sturdy buckboard wagon that they'd used earlier that day. The weapon was fully mounted, the ammo boxes set to be stored within so that they had a moving weapon similar to the train. Kidd had helped out here and there, applying metal with his soldering tools and being a verbal entertainment to Ace and Luffy, who antagonized him for most of the day with their teasing. Zoro was sleeping in the hay that the buckboard had come with, and Shachi had been mapping out their route by drawing on a map he'd tacked to the wall and having their input in staging a defense line around the ghost town they were set on re-modifying.

They were ready for dinner and a night of relaxation, the rain pouring down in buckets around them, muddying the dirt outside and making their horses uncomfortable. Shachi had been the only one with horse experience, struggling to keep up with the others' teasing and mock riding lessons, but none of them could ride and all of them were intimidated by an animal bigger than them.

"The tracks didn't say much," Ussop said, looking up from his soldering with a satisfied expression, Kidd examining his work from the outside. "But they're in town, somewhere. Two of them. I guess all we have to do is keep an eye out on who shows up at the bar, tonight. Anybody hear from Law, yet?"

"We've all been hanging out together, of course we hadn't," Zoro said impatiently, stretching his arms out. He'd removed his hat and bandanna, settling both over his chest.

"Can plants grow from hay?" Kidd asked with surprise.

"He'll be back, it's okay," Luffy said with a wave of his hand. "We've all got plans in this showdown, I doubt he'd just walk away from it, now."

"Okay, this is a serious question – did anybody make it to the post office to see if we'd gotten any messages?" Ace asked, yawning as he looked for a place to sit comfortably. He pushed aside some empty wooden crates and formed a table with them.

"We were all hanging out together, there's no way that any of us did! I doubt the others even thought of it, too."

"This rain might make Tony worse," Zoro said, peering outside with a scowl. "When will it let up?"

"It's better than roasting," Luffy said, fanning himself with his hat. "It feels great!"

"So, let's assume it was Vergo and Pica as the 'well-dressed riders'," Ace spoke up from his temporary resting area, using finger quotation marks. "Tell us about them, Kidd."

"Vergo's a Marine operative that works the Marines for the Donquixote family. They openly trade information. If the Marines need backdoor help with an assignment, they go to Vergo. Vice versa if the family needs something from the Marines. Rumor has it, they slip each other deals on weaponry. The high tech shit, the experimental stuff. There's a medical lab back east that deals mainly with the experimentation and design of vaccines, and rumor has it, they have cures for everything!" Kidd said grandly. His jacket and gloves were hanging from a hook that held hand saws, and he was enjoying the freedom with a shirtless torso while Ace complained. "But it's only available at a price. So the shit that fucked Brook up? Could've been just a prototype they were trying out on the little people. They do that."

"Then Vergo's a highly trained dude that knows how to fight? I want first crack at him!" Luffy volunteered.

"No one's arguing with you," Ace said, scratching his stomach.

"Pica is in the same element, but he works for the government as a go-between. Anything the government has, he gives to the family. Vice versa! But he don't have that much power because the government's trying to keep neutral in things, but everyone knows how that goes…"

"For a guy with your appearance, you're well informed," Zoro said.

"Says the guy with green hair!"

Luffy laughed.

"He's not as powerful as Vergo is," Kidd finished, leaning against the wagon with a tired sigh. "But he's a beast with armory. He designed his own shit – he wears this crazy crap that's as hard as stone, but he can take bullets, explosives, and get hit by horses, _and_ he can get back up. He's strong, but only defensively. So he's usually only with high level guys that need protection. If he's with Vergo, it's a sort of one-two punch. Vergo's got mad fighting skills and this jacket that nothing can penetrate. Pica's got armor and a Gatling gun."

" _Gatling gun_?" Luffy asked with excitement. "We can use that on our super train! Or wagon!"

"Oh, _wow_!" Ussop cried.

"I get first crack at Pica, then! Just for that gun!"

"No one's arguing with you, Luffy!" Ace said impatiently.

"What about the other guys?"

"I only heard rumors about the other guys. Diamante and Trebol? Trebol is Doflamingo's right hand man – he basically coached Doflamingo on being who he is. I'm not sure what Diamante's role is, but I heard he's badass with weaponry."

Shachi cleared his throat, playing with his markers and map. "First off, you've got old information."

"Hell with you! I'm always up to date! I make sure of it!"

"Yeah, you're right about the four executives, but there's only two. Vergo and Pica. Trebol and Diamante were killed years ago. For that information to just now show up on this side of the world shows that it wasn't made public. It was tucked away with shame, probably," Shachi mumbled, adjusting his hat.

"How would you know that?" Luffy asked curiously.

"I'm a bartender, we know everything because we hear everything."

"What's 32 times 11, then?"

"352."

"Damn, you _do_ know everything!"

"That's basic math, Luffy!" Ace shouted at him impatiently.

"Why wouldn't it be public?" Kidd asked curiously. "Everyone in that family has a role. Those two are part of the top dogs!"

"Well…see, um, there's – well, this is what I was told, I wasn't there to experience it, myself," Shachi said with a cringe.

" _Obviously_ , you were over here knowing where ghost towns and driving trains and playing with horses, and shit," Kidd said sarcastically.

"Trebol and Diamante…they were recruiters. But not conventional ones, they used kids for…" Shachi trailed off, waving a hand to let the others fill in the blanks. All but Luffy did, who frowned at him intently. "Anyway, the police were onto them because an orphanage the family owned kept losing kids mysteriously. They were using them for all sorts of heinous things, really. One day, when a couple of officers were checking on the welfare of those kids, something happened where there was a shoot out.

"Everyone got fucked up, including those two. So they were taken to the hospital, there. It's a special hospital that the family ran, that only certain people could use. They're pretty advanced. Anyway, Trebol and Diamante were brought in and were supposed to be fixed up. _Supposed_ to be. When Doflamingo went to check on their progress that night, he found them both carved up and missing pieces that were then mailed out to various people, including himself. By then, there was a police investigation into the child, um, _recruitment_ ring that Doflamingo claimed he knew nothing about. It got pretty ugly."

"They forced kids to fight with them?" Luffy asked curiously.

"They used kids for a lot of things. Rivals let their guards down around children. Sometimes, they never left the broth – the house down the street. Or, once they reached a certain age, they were groomed to take certain positions in the family hierarchy. As a result of all this, even the public and police began to treat unattended kids with extreme caution. Like, rivals would literally shoot any kid that didn't have a parent attached them in public areas. It was that intense."

"Well, I guess I can see why they couldn't make it public," Kidd said with a sigh. "That's messed up."

Shachi shrugged, fiddling with his markers. "Well, when Doffy – I mean, _Doflamingo_ catches up to the guy that killed his friends, it's not going to be pretty. He'd essentially raised the guy, called him 'brother'. And it worked out, he had a reputation for being the best in the business. They even nicknamed him the Surgeon of Death because he was good at fixing people so that they'd last longer under torture. He was supposed to be promoted to take up a power position to help that family expand…but…people snap. I guess he just got tired of it and rebelled."

"Guy should've offed himself just to save himself the trouble of that ever happening, there's no redeeming that weird shit," Kidd said with a snort.

Shachi shrugged again. "There are more details to the story, it wasn't just isolated to that. The family's grown too powerful, and if they took root up here in the west, it'll get even worse. Rumor is, it's being slowly dismantled from the inside – Vergo has been looking for a spy that's supposedly in communication with non-corruptible Marines, before they can establish anything out here other than the banks and westward expansion plans."

Ace peered at him suspiciously. "You know a lot for overhearing gossip."

"It's going to come out, eventually. I'm just saying, there's a bigger picture to it than just an all out fight between us and them, and you guys will be pulled in with it."

"That's shady as hell, man! Should we be suspecting you guys of anything?"

"I'm not kidding when it was mentioned that Blackleg stepped into some shit he shouldn't have stepped in. He should've taken 'no' as no."

Zoro sat up. "Are you talking about Law in anyway, here?"

But before Shachi could answer him, a man in a wet jacket and a dripping hat burst into the building with a panicked face.

"Ya'll are needed at the hotel! Quick! It's bad!"

All of them abandoned their things, racing after the man that led the way.

: :

Sanji and Brook laid the unconscious man on a table, and both of them didn't know where to start. Brook hastily set Tony on a table nearby, as Sanji hurried about, looking for bandages, painkillers. The on call doctor refused to touch the man, realizing that something massive was happening, taking off before he could get caught up in the middle.

The rain finally stopped, thunder booming in the distance.

"I don't know what to do for him!" Brook said, on the edge of panic. "He's breathing, but it's really bad!"

"Damn that shitty doctor for running away!" Sanji growled. All of them startled at the sound of a rapid fired weapon. The sound was more than thunder, closeby, and he turned with a startled look, knowing it came from the hotel. He turned to run out when Brook snatched his arm.

" _Stay_."

"What if he needs help? I can help, until the others show up!"

"You've done enough. If the battle moves, I need help with Tony. There's nothing I can do for this man, but I need you to help Tony. _Stay_. The others will show up, soon, and they'll take care of the situation."

Sanji looked over at Tony, who watched him with fearful eyes, cringing as the sounds resumed again. Then he looked at Penguin, finally at Brook, jerking his arm away from him. "I'll be right back."

" _Sanji_!" Brook snapped. "There's nothing more you can do! If there's more, who's going to be here to protect him? Do you honestly think I'm enough if there's more than two here in town?"

Sanji paused at the door, then gave it a frustrated expression as the gun went off again. He swept his hands through his hair, struggled to breathe normally. He looked back at them, touching his pockets for his cigarettes and matches. Brook snatched them from him, gesturing at the medical sign that warned them of oxygen tanks present.

"Sanji…Vergo couldn't land a hit on him. I'm sure he'll be fine against this one. Listen, the gun is still going off. The scrapyard isn't that far away, the others will be there soon!"

"Sanji - ! _Please_ let me fix your face!" Tony called, but his voice was shaking and full of tears, and it was obvious he was doing what he could to distract the man from leaving them. Sanji couldn't ignore the boy's request, but he reluctantly pulled away from the door, Brook laying a hand on his shoulder with a comforting pat.

: :

Pica's armor was a heavy helmet, a grey coat that was similar to Vergo's, but he carried a belt pack full of bullets and a Gatling gun that he could shift over his back to free his arms. He was strapped with one carbine on each thigh, and his arms were heavy with muscle that caused the jacket to strain. While he moved slowly, he was strong and built, just as tall as Vergo, towering over most men. The only drawback to his presentation was his high pitched voice, and he was screaming shrilly with rage as he stood over Vergo.

Law crouched down low behind the hostess podium near the restaurant, and caught his breath. Vergo's coat was bloodstained, smelled like the man, and made him sick, but it came in handy. Bullets ate up the walls and tables around him, shattering wood, knocking out the windows, and causing a few support beams to fall. He patted the pockets, looking for anything he could use against the Marines or the family, and found a small notepad in the inside jacket pocket. He opened that up as Pica screamed for him to die. Once he saw Vergo's messy handwriting detailing dates and times, he closed it up, shifted to stuff it into his jeans pocket.

He looked at the framed pictures on the walls that remained, looking for at least one intact glass. He could see Pica moving over Vergo, checking on him, and Law felt frustrated that he'd lose the answers he was looking for if Vergo died during this. But once he saw that Pica's attention was diverted, he pushed away from the podium, supporting his rifle with both hands and firing at Pica. As expected, the ammunition he used didn't work. In fact, the bullet ricocheted, and he ducked, climbing back to the podium as Pica screamed in outrage.

The Gatling gun was turned in his direction and fired again, and from the way the wood shifted around him, the podium wasn't going to hold up very well. He looked to the right and saw that he could move through a line of tables and booths to get to the kitchen, so after Pica stopped shooting, he ran in that direction. Pica followed, waddling carefully after him, Vergo abandoned.

"You'll pay for what you've done, Trafalgar!" Pica shouted. "Murderer! You sick, demented fuck!"

"Who's _demented_?" Law hollered back in outrage, reloading his rifle. "None of your actions were any better!"

"How dare you think you're above us," Pica continued, shuffling his way. The wooden floor creaked as he walked, protesting his extra weight. "You think you can hide forever? Is that what you intended? Don't you know the past will always come back? You couldn't have shown up at a more convenient time!"

Looking at his surroundings, Law saw that the only kitchen exit had been blocked by a man's body, twisted at such an angle that the drop bar could not be used. He winced. He looked to the left, seeing the hallway that would take him to the staff quarters. Law reached out for the coffee pot sitting atop of the stove. He unlocked the top, checking the heat inside. He then drank some hastily as Pica growled, aiming to walk around the server's counter.

Abandoning the coffee pot, Law stood, Pica lowering the gun to fire but knocking it off some pots and pans that were hanging from the wall, causing them to clatter to the floor. But bullets shattered the wall and swinging door Law jumped through, rolling to the side, slamming up against a set of shelves that held workers' clothing and cleaning supplies.

"How dare you drink coffee while I'm trying to kill you!" Pica shrieked.

Law looked around himself, noting the support beams and the narrow corridor nearby. He stood and pressed himself against the wall, waiting with bated breath for Pica to finally emerge through the doorway. Pica started firing at him, and Law pulled the jacket over his head and ran from the wall to the corridor, bullets hitting the material with punching power. He stumbled a bit, knowing he'd see the bruises tomorrow, but as he ran through the corridor, he twisted out from the doorway and saw that they were now near the front lobby. He looked back as Pica continued shuffling after him, moving slowly under the weight of gear.

Just to piss him off, he jogged in place while in full view of Pica, causing the man to scream with outrage, lifting the gun again. Chuckling, he ducked out of view, bullets flying out from the corridor, shattering decorative items near the front entrance way of the front lobby. Plants shattered, wall sconces fell, wallpaper was torn to bits while bullets ate the wall. The glass siding around the doors shattered, allowing in the breath of fresh rain. Law turned and examined the area, knowing he had several moments to spare while Pica made his way out.

He noted the main pillar near the staircase, one he assumed that had to be the main support for the floors above. He stood next to it, waiting for Pica to emerge from the corridor, and when he did, Pica was already red faced with rage. He aimed and fired without checking his surroundings, screaming. Law hid behind the pillar, listening to the wood being eaten up as Pica advanced. As it started to wobble, more and more pieces falling to the ground, he pulled the jacket up and over his head and crouched so that he was less of a target.

The gun's barrels stopped spinning, and Pica began to reload. Peering around the corner, Law watched him do so. Then he looked at the pillar again, noting how much skinnier it was from when he'd first stood there. Pica watched him as he breathed heavily, so Law flipped him off, waving his hand around in case he couldn't see it. With renewed fury, Pica finished reloading and fired again, wood cracking noisily just above Law's head. Seeing that it was sufficiently weakened, he pushed away from the pillar and sprinted for the staircase, throwing himself onto the other side as Pica followed.

They were returning to the bar area, now, and Law could see Vergo still laying on the floor, bleeding heavily. He frowned, then moved quickly as Pica caught up to him. He climbed and ducked behind the counter, still moving as Pica once again destroyed what was left of the counter, the back shelves. Glass flew, liquid splattering everywhere, and suddenly Law was back where he started with the hostess podium. He ran deliberately for the support beams, Pica chasing after him with the gun.

"Stand still, fucker!" Pica screamed. "There's no where for you to go!"

Bullets ate up the support beams around him, and he was once again behind the kitchen counter. He checked the coffee pot to see if there was more, and caught his breath as Pica shuffled after him. Then he stopped walking, and Law waited for him to say or do something to continue the chase.

"You little shit…you think you're so fucking smart. I know what you're up to! You think collapsing the building will hurt me in any way?" Pica roared.

There came the sound of shuffling, and something heavy hitting the floor. He peeked over the counter to see Pica dropping the weight of the gun and its ammo belt at his feet. Quickly, he shot to his, holding his rifle with both hands, and then jumped onto the counter so that he could start the physical combat.

Pica unloosed his carbine, so Law fired first, wincing at the ricochet that rattled around the kitchen, pinging off various metal surfaces. Pica fired at him, the punch knocking his leg back. Instead of falling back like Pica wanted, Law jumped from the counter to start swinging Kikoku. Every time he connected, ducking and shifting as Pica fired at him, the jacket caught every blow, rendering the hit useless. Pica realized he was wearing Vergo's jacket, erupting with a roar as he dropped hold of his gun with one hand and snatched the material with the other. That gave Law a chance to kick Pica's knee with one booted heel, elbow aside the arm holding the gun, and smash the butt of his rifle into the exposed sliver of his face.

He reached to pull the helmet off, but it was latched on tightly. He released that as Pica punched at him, forcing him to evade the best he could with Pica holding onto him. He grabbed that wrist, kicked Pica's exposed ankle, then drove the butt of his rifle into his boot. Pica released him with a pained shout, Law stuffed the barrel into his mask and pulled the trigger, but the man somehow pulled his head back within the helmet – his skin exploded with gunpowder scorch marks and the bullet pierced through the material, landing with a dull thud in the ceiling.

Pica shrieked, drawing one arm up and over to swat Law away from him. He stumbled, caught himself quickly as Pica withdrew into himself to make an impossible target, all exposed areas covered. Law retreated back to the kitchen with mounting frustration, at a loss as how he could penetrate that armor Pica wore. Recovering, Pica followed, jumping atop of the counter, Law looking up at him as he twisted onto his back and fired a few shots. Pica jumped, forcing him to roll to the side, kicking with all effort into the man's ankles. He stumbled slightly, giving Law ample room to get up and start hitting him with the rifle. He spun and twirled it to generate more strength into each hit, but the jacket absorbed each blow with ease. He gave a frustrated curse.

Pica kicked out, catching him in the mid section, causing him to stumble back and hit the stove with a windmill reaction. Once he caught onto that, he threw the burner covers at the man to distract him before raising the rifle once more, aiming for his exposed face. He fired off the last shot, just barely catching the man as he ducked his head. The bullet ricocheted once more, but Law used that moment to wind up with the rifle and swung upward with a wild swing, catching the man upside the jaw. Pica fell backward with a gurgle, arms spiraling in an effort to catch himself. Grabbing a fork from the nearby counter, Law jumped on him, snatching onto his jacket with a growl and stabbing downward, effectively pushing the tines through Pica's left eye. Pica screamed as Law withdrew the tines and stabbed again, releasing crazed laughter as the orb burst and oozed and Pica was stiff with shock and pain. He stabbed again but Pica started to move, and he missed, stabbing through his cheek, so he lunged to the side with a wild jerk to tear out as much meat as he could before Pica could touch him.

Pica screamed almost soundlessly with fury, his face ruined and missing an eye, and threw a wild punch that caught Law because Law was busy admiring his work and laughing wildly about it.

Law landed on his back with an undignified 'oof!', his rifle and fork bouncing out of his hand before he pulled his rifle back up with a quick snatch, sitting up to shoot as Pica leapt at him, then froze in mid-air. Both his and Law's face shifted into surprised expressions as Pica swam, struggling to move towards him. Pica's blood dripped over Law, and his head was shaking as his helmet jerked about, pulling on his neck. All the pots, pans and various utensils started shaking, rattling noisily in their cupboards, several tin cups hitting Pica as they flew out of view.

Then, Luffy was there, throwing all his might and weight into an overhand right that caused Pica to shift out of his mid-air flight and slam hard into the counter. Law relaxed with a relieved sigh, resting for a moment while Luffy hollered with delight. He crouched down on the counter while Pica slammed into the surface and rolled off onto the restaurant side.

"You okay, Law? You psycho path! I can take it from here!" Luffy assured him. "Where's Brook and the others?"

"Take that armor off him, and you'll have a better chance at him! If nothing else works, take out the rest of the support beams, and that should give you a chance," Law then said, rising quickly as he thought of Vergo. He saw Kidd using his gloves to stop Pica from shooting at him, Zoro with all his swords drawn a distance from Kidd, Ussop hiding in the back with his Winchester. Ace and Shachi were nearby, and he knew he didn't need to stick around.

"Okay! But where's – "

"Hospital."

"Are they okay?" Luffy asked with worry, as Pica rose to stand grandly, Kidd protesting in that he was taller than him. Law saw that his helmet had been dented by Luffy's punch. He looked at the teen with wide eyes, unable to imagine having that sort of strength himself. Luffy looked obviously pleased at facing a strong opponent.

Law didn't answer because he didn't know, and he didn't want to see that horrible scene where Vergo was beating Sanji without any mercy. He saw that Pica was screaming with rage, and it had all the guys' attention. Luffy started laughing uproariously, Ace holding his mid section as he demanded Pica to speak again.

Law ran away from the counter and headed for Vergo, Shachi following after him with another look back at the others. Once he found that Vergo was dead, Law growled and kicked the body with frustration.

"Jesus," Shachi muttered. "It looks like you were just getting started."

Law then reached for Vergo, for a meat cleaver. "I can bring him back to life."

"That's disgusting! Just him go! It's better that he's gone!" Shachi cried, pulling him back from the body.

Throwing aside the cleaver, Law reached out and grabbed him by his collar, giving him a slight shake as he heard Pica shouting at the others. Ace was still laughing uproariously, Luffy's laughter a bit more distant, Ussop screaming at them to be serious. Even Kidd was struggling to keep a somewhat calm voice, yelling for someone to do something about Pica's armor. The building shook slightly as something happened, but Shachi was looking at Law with a bewildered look.

"Do you work for Rosinante?" Law demanded. "Why didn't you tell me that? Why am I finding it out from an enemy?"

"He didn't want you to know! We weren't supposed to interfere with anything, just - be available if you needed us, or if any of them were to show up! We were supposed to tell him if they found you!"

"How can I trust you?"

"He wanted me to tell you 'borscht', if you ever found out about us. That was the code word he gave us, something only you two would know."

'It shouldn't always be of a convenience. No romance, nothing, and how much do you want to wager that he'll be visiting the pleasure house in a week?' Rosinente signed as the bride and the groom gave their monotonous vows in front of the procession. His brother sat next to him with a wide grin, obviously pleased with the ceremony. They were all wearing black, it was sweltering inside the church, and Law had slept through most of it until Doflamingo realized he was sleeping and thumped him on the head for it.

As he rubbed his head, Rosinente continued to sign. 'When it's your turn, you should make sure that she can at least be able to bring something to the table. Like a sandwich. Marry someone that can cook. Please. Don't think of yourself. Think of poppa, too.'

"You're not my 'poppa', and I'm never getting married, don't be stupid," Law had answered with a gruff expression, keeping his voice low. With a vengeful expression and a clenched fist, he hissed, "I'd kill myself if Doffy tried to make me do it."

"I'll kill you right now if you don't shut the fuck up," Doflamingo warned him, glaring at him and Rosinante for a few moments before he turned away.

Rosinante continued signing. 'Marry someone that can make borscht! Borscht is important!'

" _You_ get married!"

'But _you_ have so much potential with these good looks, most of which come from my own loins!' Rosinante then grabbed his chin with one hand and squeezed it with parental affection, causing Law to slap at him.

"You're not my goddamn dad!"

Rosinante loomed over him with a furious expression and wildly signing hands and arms. 'The abuse I receive from you because I love you!'

"Will you two _knock it off_?" Doflamingo told them both, giving them both cold stares. "I'm going to sit between you two if you both keep this shit up."

Rosinante's shoulders shook again, his older brother staring at him until he straightened up. Once he looked away, he signed to Law, 'Thanks for getting me into trouble.'

"You started it!"

' _Borscht_.'

A minute later, Rosinante signed 'borscht' again from the other side of his brother, his face holding that cheerful, goofy expression of his that Law struggled not to notice because Doffy's forehead vein was starting to pulse, and his grip on Law's knee was starting to hurt.

"Of all the - ! That is the _stupidest_ code word he can think of to say to me, so I believe you," Law then said presently, embarrassed at the memory. He shoved Shachi away.

He found his hat and gloves, pocketing those before fitting his hat back on. Pica was screaming, Luffy was laughing, and it sounded like glass shattered. Ussop ran from the scene as Ace flew past him. The other man hit the wall with such force that the wind was knocked right out of him. Kidd tumbled head over heels, losing a glove, and Pica was screaming about Luffy's horrid breath in his face as another slam against the wall caused the staircase to creak. Zoro himself slammed through a couple of support beams that had already been shot up earlier, and an ominous creaking noise gave dangerous protest.

"That doesn't sound good," Ussop said, looking at the structure with worry. "I'm going to get some of our stuff! Shachi! I need your assistance!"

Shachi looked at Law, who gestured at him to go. Seeing that the man was handled, Law then left the building to run to the hospital.

: :

Once at the hospital, Law saw that Penguin was lying on a table, the other three wearing worried expressions. He told himself it was because Sanji was closest to him, but he reached out to touch him, examining his face, touching him for any gunshot wounds. Then there was a moment where he could only look at the other man with relief, and Sanji was looking at him with a similar expression, reaching out to wipe Pica's blood from his face, his thumb lingering. Then Sanji looked beyond him, where the open doorway revealed visible townspeople hurrying away from the hotel with panicked voices. Tony had done his best to clean and bandage some of Sanji's injuries, but since he was moving about with no real trouble, Law forced himself to then focus on Penguin.

Brook shook his head with a sad sigh.

"What's going on out there?" Sanji then demanded, moving to the door to look at the hotel. It didn't look as it did when they were there, earlier – the windows were shattered, the insides kept lighting up with gunfire, and the sounds of his crew were obvious. The building kept shuddering in such a way that it made people nervous – which was why they were quickly moving away from the scene with their animals. The deputies that had made themselves present but not interfering kept their cautious distance, prodding people to leave the area as it became intense.

Law looked down at Penguin, then swept away the bandages and tape that the others had out, intending on covering the visible scrapes and cuts the man had. Tony was sitting on a stool, looking intensely worried as Brook stood nearby.

"We didn't know what to do!" he said heavily. "He doesn't look so good."

Law ripped the other man's shirt open, where almost every inch of Penguin's skin was mottled with bruises. His midsection was distended and a deep red, and Law quickly swept his hands over him, searching for more injuries. He then swept off his hat and hastily washed his hands in the nearby basin. "I need all the scalpels in here. Needle and thread. Disinfectant. Towels. That oxygen tank. Everything!"

Brook moved about to grab all the items, shoving over a wheelie cart that was posted near a stretcher. The drawers underneath had some of the things Law needed, and Tony watched with fascination as he raised the table as high as it could go to accommodate his height. Brook returned with a few brown bottles, and moved Tony away from the scene, despite the boy's protests. Sanji peeked back in to see that Law was already in the process of working on Penguin, and he gave a slow exhale of relief, confident that the man was saved.

Once Law started cutting the man open, though, Sanji hastily turned away. He looked down the road to seeing Ussop and Shachi hurrying out from the hotel with their things in their arms, and Ace flew out of a broken window with a wild yell, bouncing into the muddied street. The hotel shifted, wood creaking noisily, the pair turning to look back at it with dismay.

"The entire place will come down soon," Ussop told him, running into the hospital with breathless action. Shachi followed right after him, then made a sound of distress once he realized what was happening with his friend. He abandoned all the bags and suitcases that he'd been carrying and raced over, Brook holding him a safe distance so that he wouldn't be in Law's way.

With a wince, Ussop stood next to Sanji after checking on Tony, who was standing on the stretcher to watch everything with a fascinated expression. "You really need to stop having these guys stomp your face in," Ussop told Sanji. "Do you even have all your teeth?"

"A couple of them are loose. That guy was pretty strong. We held him off pretty good until…we weren't strong enough," Sanji said reluctantly, his expression downcast. "Once Penguin fell, he…well, he's in the state he's in. It was horrible. In the end, I couldn't do anything to help him."

Ussop nodded in sympathy, standing close enough beside him so they could look at the hotel together. He touched his hand to Sanji's, then held it tightly once he realized how bad it was shaking.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So proud of myself. Wish me luck! Round two!**

 **Guest: *thumbs up* thanks! I'm glad you liked!**

 **Snowflake97: haha thanks! hopefully this chapter takes the edge off!**

 **Part Eleven**

In the end, Zoro ended up cutting Pica to pieces. The hotel fell around them, and the small town rumbled with townspeople leaving with haste, not wanting to be caught up in the mess that would surely happen after such a grand battle. The warning of Marines coming their way, along with other powerful opponents caused panic to spread. By the time the sun began to hide behind yet another incoming storm that swept over the area with violent rain and powerful thunder, the town was nearly empty.

They'd moved next door to the hospital, to a bed and bath with meager furnishings. The mood turned somber and tense as they couldn't leave because of Penguin's near mortal injuries. The man needed some time to show positive progress before any of them could move him from the hospital.

Luffy stared out one bedroom window with a morose expression, his forehead white with bandages. Lightening streaked through the sky, the edges of town dark with falling rain. In the distance, dust built up like a wave, oozing over the desert landscape towards their way. Laying on the top bunk, Luffy fiddled restlessly with one six shooter that he'd never really used, tapping the barrel on the wooden railing in time with the grandfather clock that ticked downstairs.

"They're not coming, are they?" he asked no one in particular.

"There's no telling if they can at this point," his brother answered with a tired sigh. He wore bandages on his back and upper arms, and was nursing a bruised jaw, which made it difficult for him to eat anything, so his temper was rather prickly. "Quiet down, by the way. People are sleeping."

"I'm not being loud!" Luffy said in frustration. He looked back out the window, the reflection of the incoming storm crossing slowly over the panes, and then rolled off the bunk bed. He shrugged his shirt on as he left the room and walked down the hall.

Luffy found Zoro talking to Sanji in low tones in the room they shared, and Luffy squinted to hear better. He knew Sanji was upset because his nightmares had been vicious last night, and Zoro had no patience for it, telling Sanji after his last one that he needed to 'get over it', or stop fighting altogether. Luffy liked their friendship when they were being nice to each other, but their tempers caused uncomfortable fights that left Luffy wondering what it was all about in the first place. Sometimes Zoro was a little too rough and insensitive, and Sanji was a little too touchy and too sensitive, and Luffy didn't understand why they had to lay their hands on each other at all.

He heard that Zoro was getting angry, slipping between his native language and English, and soon Sanji was cussing at him in his, until both of them were insulting each other in their first languages, and it gave Luffy a headache to try and figure it out, so he waited until Zoro strode out of the room with a curse, hitting the wall on his way to the stairs. The front door slammed after he left it, Ace yelling at Luffy to stop making so much noise.

Luffy peeked into the room, and saw that Sanji was sitting up in bed with a faraway look to his face that immediately caused Luffy to investigate.

"You okay, Sanji?" he asked with concern, sitting at the edge of the bed and leaning over to peer up at him. The man smelled clean – Luffy had no doubt that he'd dragged himself to take a bath before anyone else could. That was how Sanji was. The other man's face looked battered and sore, one of his eyes red with broken blood vessels, lip cracked in the corner, and Luffy winced with sympathy for him.

It took a few moments for Sanji to even realize he was there, but he struggled to smile, found it difficult, and made another face, reaching out to pat Luffy's head. "I'm good. But I'm sore as fuck and don't want to move unless I have to."

"Maybe you should have Law look at you."

"I know my injuries. I'm okay. I'm just going to sit here for awhile. I'll cook later, okay?"

"Let me help you to the window, then. You shouldn't just sit, you're going to get all stiff like Brook does in the cold. C'mon. Alley oop!" Luffy encouraged, pulling the sheet back, and grabbing his hands. Sanji looked like he was going to argue, but the need for tobacco won out, so Luffy pulled and Sanji winced, but he was moving, standing in a hunched position with his hands moving to his ribs. He stood there for several moments, then shuffled to the window with obvious effort. He opened the window and looked out, then lit a cigarette.

"That shit's bad for you!" they heard Kidd from somewhere below.

"That guy's still here?" Sanji asked. "Hmf."

"He's a gas! His personality is as bright as his hair!"

Sanji had to chuckle at Luffy's cheer, leaning aside as Luffy peered out the window and waved at Kidd. Then he ducked back in, a rock missing him by inches. Sanji finished his cigarette after a few minutes, put it out carefully and had Luffy try to throw it into a trash barrel several feet away from the house. While he did that, Sanji returned to bed, the effort difficult with all the different areas of soreness in his torso area.

Luffy watched him resettle himself, a mixture of emotions running over the other man's face as he resumed his earlier position.

"I'm tired, Luffy. I'm just going to sleep, okay?"

"Do you want me to sleep with you, tonight?"

When he didn't answer, Luffy took that as a "Yes". He nodded, then patted his leg. "Get some rest, then. You did good, Sanji. Pica was real tough. We couldn't do anything until we finally came together to get that jacket off him. Shachi said Vergo was a very tough opponent, better than Pica! So when Law said you and Penguin took him down – "

"I wasn't able to, Luffy. If Law hadn't shown up when he did…" Sanji cut himself off with frustration, the unwelcome feelings of helplessness and defeat hitting him all over again. Suddenly it was difficult to breathe, and his hands bunched the sheets with anxiety. Luffy watched him for a few moments, then nodded.

"Shachi told us about Law, last night. Well, not directly, but we all kinda just guessed when we saw what he was doing to Vergo." Luffy shrugged. "Then it made sense when Pica kept talking about killing him, to get revenge for his friends."

Sanji exhaled tightly, tucking some strands of hair behind a sore ear. "Oh. So…it's out there, now. That connection. Zoro was nice enough to tell me that it's all my fault we were drawn into this mess."

With an indignant expression, Luffy declared, "That's unfair of Zoro to say that to you. I wouldn't say it was 'your fault', because we had a chance to walk away from it, too, but _I_ pushed us to go talk to him that day. I was actually going to go kick his ass, but when I found those letters, it changed my mind about him."

Sanji looked at him with amusement. "You were going to 'kick his ass'?"

"Yeah. When Zoro told me you got stolen out of his house, I was going to kick Law's ass, but then Sheriff Smoker came along and threw us in jail for some reason. Then I found those letters. Ussop made me read them because he wanted me to practice, and you know I hate reading!"

"What 'letters'?"

"He was holding Law's mail for him. They were from someone that sounded very concerned about him, and it sounded like he was hiding, to me, but he also did something that made the other person glad he was hiding. I think if Law read them in time, maybe he wouldn't be here, but Smoker was nice enough to have them all in one place, so I think he was helping out, too. I thought, _hey_ if the Sheriff's involved in hiding Law, too, then it must've been pretty serious."

 _That sly fox_! Sanji thought with stunned action. _Is he conspiring_ with _Rosinante?_

"Then I saw him looking sad when he was fixing his horse's grave, and you know how I am when it comes to those things. So, I didn't kick his ass. Instead, I made him come with us. So, in the long run, it was _me_ that made the decision, and Zoro's an ass for saying that to you." Luffy tapped a fingertip into Sanji's forehead. "So get that out of your head. And, honestly, if Law wanted to leave so bad, he would. But he didn't. And he's not. So, that's that!"

Sanji had to look away, shaking his head slightly. He had to wonder who in the group was the actual strategist.

"Anyway, how come you didn't tell us that you knew each other?" Luffy asked him curiously.

Sanji was quiet for a few moments, then he exhaled again. "Well, I didn't expect things to happen the way they did. I just…I thought that would be it. Just that one time."

"That still doesn't tell me _why_ , Sanji. Are you embarrassed, now? Was he one of your customers, too?"

" _No_. No, I just…back then, I knew _of_ him. That was it. But when I saw him here, I…couldn't bring myself to hate him like I did with the others. Because it looked like he was dealing with things in the same way I was, so…I don't know, Luffy. My reasons are unclear even to myself."

Luffy nodded. Then he reached out and patted his leg. "Okay. Well, try to get some sleep. I'm sure it'll all work itself out in the end."

Sanji then reached out and hugged him, then gave him a noogie. "You're a funny kid. Thanks for giving me a new headache to think about, brat."

"Whatever that means."

Luffy pulled away and left the room, satisfied that Sanji was in a better place than before. Maybe he wouldn't think so much about his fears; maybe now he could concentrate on something different. He wandered downstairs, where he found Tony coloring on the floor within the main hall with a happy look on his face. Luffy wandered over to see what he was drawing. He drew back with a disgusted expression when he saw that Tony was drawing the insides of a human being with a happy faced doctor standing at the side of a man with x's on his eyes.

"That's gross," he told him.

"I'm going to be a doctor," Tony told him, almost in sing song, feet waving in the air. "This is connected here, this goes there, and be careful with this part! It oozes if you touch it."

" _Ugh_ ," Luffy said, reaching down to feel his forehead and finding it okay. Then he wandered off to the kitchen to find Ussop asleep at the table, his own drawings spread around him. He found some fruit, so he dumped it into a small wicker basket and began eating it all as he patted Ussop's back. He left the kitchen and found Brook outside, looking at the hotel ruins with a hand over his eyes. Luffy mimicked the pose, then walked past him to the hospital.

Inside, Shachi was sleeping with his head on the table that Penguin laid on, in a chair that looked uncomfortable. The other man was covered in bandages that looked slightly stained, the sound of oxygen flowing through a cannula the only true sound in the room. Luffy tiptoed and stopped chewing on the apple he'd stuffed in his mouth to wander over and look at the man up close. But Penguin was still unconscious, and Luffy couldn't tell what was happening with him.

Luffy wasn't clear on the details, but he knew that Penguin had needed his belly drained after the battle left him with a lacerated liver, and there was a removal of an organ, and he'd tuned out the rest because seeing Shachi worry over his friend was the _only_ thing important to Luffy.

He looked over to find Law napping with his hat over his face on another table, blankets propped underneath his head. He was sleeping soundly, hands folded on his stomach, and it was the first time Luffy had seen his tattoos so he wandered up close to examine them for himself. He made a face, wondering what they meant, then made a pouting expression because he wanted to ask _now_. But he walked away, resuming chewing.

He threw the remains of the core towards the stables. Brook was sitting in front of the bed and breakfast with his guitar, strumming a melodic tune, and Kidd was coming back with a full burlap sack that bulged with various bits of treasure.

"Just food!" Kidd assured him with a grand smile, but Luffy knew better because he could see bank notes mixed in with canned food. He frowned at him, but Kidd was whistling and was happy and Luffy could find something else to tease him with later. He saw Law's horse grazing on someone's yard just down the street, still fully saddled and dragging his reins around. He whistled to see if the horse would respond to him, and it did, shuffling slowly his way.

Tony ran out from the house with a happy yell, running to the horse and Luffy hurried after him. But Bepo nudged Tony with a greeting as the boy hugged him, then attempted to climb on. Luffy helped him, the horse sighing as he held still. Once seated, Tony clicked his tongue, and Luffy hopped on as well because he didn't want the boy to fall or hurt himself in anyway.

Bepo looked from side to side before snorting, Luffy grabbing hold of the reins and pulling him to the side so start walking. The horse shuffled in a wide circle much to their delight, Tony laughing and Luffy shouting with glee in being able to accomplish this much on a horse. Brook watched them from the porch with a smile, Zoro stepping out onto the porch to see what the commotion was about.

Ace shoved the window open and bellowed at them to quiet down, then slammed it shut. Tony suddenly grew tired, and he slipped down to the ground, Luffy expressing concern. His tone caused Zoro to stride over to look for himself. Tony roared with impatience, slapping at their concerns before running back to the house with a huff and a slammed door.

Ace screamed at Luffy to quiet down.

"Well, he was up early this morning," Luffy said. "It's probably okay."

"Go put that horse away," Zoro then said to him. "It looks tired."

"Oh? Zoro? You know horses, now?" Luffy asked him.

"No, but who knows how long he's been walking around like that after last night?"

Luffy then tightened his hold on the reins, somehow managing to direct Bepo into walking towards Zoro. Once the man realized the animal was going to walk right into him, he stepped to the side, giving Luffy ample opportunity to kick him.

"Ow! What the hell, Luffy?" Zoro exclaimed, rubbing his head.

"Stop saying shitty things to Sanji, Zoro! He can't help it! You're not making things any better!"

"Oh, hell, that's what it's about? Luffy, honestly, he puts himself in the situation, he makes it worse! All I said was for him to get over it. He intends on fighting? He needs to stop those nightmares!"

"You still get upset thinking about your village, right? About those people being killed? What makes that any different? It still affected you!" Luffy said indignantly, as Bepo turned away so Luffy had to turn in the saddle to keep looking at the other man.

"It does, but I don't put myself in certain situations that keep reminding me of it every minute!"

"Oh, I'm sure that was the very first thing on Sanji's mind when that guy jumped him."

"I meant in other ways! I told him to calm it down, a little. The next man he fucks around with might be his last!"

"Well, things happened , Zoro. Sanji found Law for a reason, and I think it's obvious why. So get over it, okay? Sanji likes men as much as he hates them, but I'm starting to think you're jealous."

Zoro's face twisted with fury, and he kicked Bepo in the flanks, causing the horse to run off, Luffy screaming with horror as he held on for as long as he could before falling off. He still had a tight grip on the reins, so Bepo was jerked to a stop. From the dirt, Luffy lifted his head and screamed, "You jerk! Zoro! Ass! Boo! You suck!"

"Put that horse away!" Zoro yelled at him before stomping back to the house. He opened and slammed the front door, prompting Ace to scream once more at Luffy.

Luffy picked himself up from the dirt, brushed himself off with a grumble, and then walked Bepo towards the stables with no idea on how to 'put a horse away'. Luffy led Bepo through the wide entranceway, and then stared up at the horse with a lost expression, unsure of what to do. There were stalls on the inside, and it opened up to a corral at the end of the building, with various items hanging from the wooden walls, horsefeed packed in tight rows near the pens, and it smelled rank. The pens were empty, but there were horses still lingering in the corrals, so Luffy was glad the horse wouldn't be lonely.

Bepo stared at him, waiting for him to do something, lazily swatting the air with his tail. Luffy just shrugged, figuring he'd just shut the door behind him, and that was the end of it. But before he could, Law walked in with a wide yawn, adjusting his hat.

Bepo gave a shrill whinny that made Luffy wince, and when Law caught the reins with a mutter, the horse bumped into its rider with his head. He then led Bepo past the pens, near the open section of the building before the corrals.

"He ran away from me yesterday, he must be tired," Law said to Luffy, yawning again. Luffy looked up at him, coming to the conclusion that the man needed more sleep. His hair was mussed and straggly, peeking out from his hat messily – his clothes were bloodstained and they smelled bad. He had spatters of blood visible on his neck and on his rolled up sleeves.

Luffy pinched his nose shut. "You need a bath. You smell like ass."

"Thanks, kid, I was starting to wonder if it was just me," Law said sarcastically.

He began removing the saddle, Bepo tossing his head, pleased with the freedom. Luffy stood away and watched as Law took care of his horse, brushing his sweaty sides and back with a brush he'd found hanging on the wall nearby. Luffy made a face because the horse stunk like wet fur and the scent made his eyes water.

"Both of you guys stink. I should grab that hose over there and hose you both down." Luffy then asked, "What do your tattoos mean?"

"Nothing you'd understand."

"Will you go look at Sanji, after? He's being shy."

Law laughed. "That man is not shy. But I will."

Luffy wondered what that meant. "Take a bath first, or he'll bitch about it for hours. Trust me."

Law paused in brushing Bepo to salute him.

With a huff, hands on his hips, Luffy asked, "Are you going to talk to me? Or do I have to answer all my questions myself? Because I'll give myself some good answers."

"Look, kid, I'm tired. I'm tired and hungover, I've got a lot of shit on my mind, I'm not feeling the twenty questions thing."

Luffy chewed on his lip for a few moments, processing that answer. He remembered Zoro saying that Sanji had found 'another one', which was Zoro's way of saying Sanji had a man to fool around with, and that was always worrisome for Luffy. Zoro often let it go because Sanji always came back, but Luffy wasn't so easy going. Luffy had intended to have a 'talk' with Law that next morning of his arrival, just like he did with most of the men Sanji had his eye on during their travels. Luffy knew he'd be caught by Sanji eventually, but he couldn't help it – he was overprotective of his friends.

But then reading those letters, and seeing the way Law worked over the gravesite of his other horse had changed his mind. In Luffy's mind, those things, plus everything else so far, made him a good person. He just didn't understand, now, what all the fuss meant.

"Look, I know Sanji chose you, and maybe I still don't get his reasons, but maybe it has to do with you guys both working for the same guy, _but_ I'd appreciate it if you were nice to him," Luffy then said. He followed the older man as he put the brush away, filled a heavy bucket with water from a nearby pump. When Law nearly stepped on him, he pointed at the saddle and gestured at a nearby rail. Luffy walked over and attempted to pick it up, but struggled dramatically, awkwardly carrying it, eyeing the distance he'd have to lift, and decided against it, dropping it back into the dirt with a heavy exhale.

"How can you put a fucking _dent_ in Pica's armor with a punch, and not be able to pick up a goddamn saddle?" Law yelled at him.

" _I'm_ short! _This_ is tall! I'm having problems!" Luffy growled back. He picked the saddle back on, struggled, hopped and managed to toss it over. So he spent a few minutes repeating the process, eventually landing the saddle neatly within the center. He caught his breath, fanning himself with his hat and looking up into the sky, watching the storm clouds roll over. Thunder boomed in the distance.

Then he returned to Law, who was seated on a short stool, digging a sharp rock out from one of Bepo's back hooves. Luffy watched for a few moments, crossing his arms, then continuing.

"It makes me feel weird when he's all busted up because he can't get over his fears when he's fighting. We're going to be in this situation for a awhile, so I just wanted to let you know that I'm not joking when I say if you hurt him in any way, I'm going to fuck you up," Luffy finished, hands on his hips with a serious expression.

Law stared at him for a bit, Bepo even looking at Luffy with a questioning flick of his ears. Then Law let go of Bepo's hoof and set it down, picking up the stool as he stood. He towered over Luffy easy, and Luffy found his height convenient, shifting until the sun was behind the man and he didn't have to squint so hard to keep it out of his eyes.

"That's _cute_. First of all, we didn't 'work' for the same guy," Law said. " _He_ was forced into a type of unforgiveable slavery. _I_ was brainwashed to think that this lifestyle was the norm. Second of all, 'Strawhat', you ever threaten me like that again, I'll make sure you and your group of friends regret the day you broke into my house and forced me into this. Thirdly, how _dare_ you think you even have a _say_ in what I do when you _broke into my house_ and forced me into this situation! I was content living out there by myself, avoiding this entire mess!"

"Well, people keep saying Sanji made a mistake chasing you – but, really, it was you who made the mistake, Traffy. You should've been very firm with him. _You_ should've just walked away. Because now, if you make any mistakes with him, I'm going to collect."

Law snorted, petting Bepo and then walking away from Luffy with a shake of his head. He poured some feed into a pail that he carried with him as he led the horse towards a pen, intending on keeping him from the incoming storm.

"Good talking to you, okay? Take a bath before you go see Sanji!" Luffy then said, waving at him as he walked off. Feeling satisfied with the conversation, Luffy walked back to the house and heard voices coming from the kitchen, Ace walking down the stairway with a grumpy look.

"Luffy, you need to keep it down! I was trying to sleep!"

" _I wasn't even here half the time_!" Luffy protested before wrestling him away from the stairway, Ace turning the tides to throw him down. Kidd peeked out from the living room to watch them wrestle, while Tony ran out from the kitchen with a whoop, cheering Luffy on.

: :

Before he entered the room, Law took a deep breath. Then released a slow exhale. He promised himself he would make rational decisions if Sanji tried working the situation his way, again. He didn't feel too much of the sting of rejection and humiliation he'd felt the last time he'd spoken with Sanji, now that there were bigger things on the plate. He was certain he knew where he stood with the man, and he wouldn't let his feelings get in the way.

There was such a loud clamor downstairs as the guys in the kitchen fought over space, food and ideas on what to have for dinner. Luffy was pretty disappointed that Sanji wasn't going to cook for them, nearly teary eyed as Kidd attempted to make some meat heavy stew, Ace some barbequed meat, Shachi with soup, and Brook growing angry as his bread kept failing, the yeast falling every time he set it out to rise. Tony wanted candy, and was throwing a tantrum because he wasn't getting his way. Everyone's voices were louder than Pica's Gatling gun.

Thunder rattled the windows, wind and rain beating down on the house. Lightening flashed, and he could hear the horses in the corral panicking. But the storm would pass soon, and the temporary coolness was welcomed from the heat that had beat down on them earlier.

He reached up, running a hand through his damp hair, then realized what he was doing. With an impatient huff, he walked into the room. Sanji made immediate eye contact with him, and it was all Law could do to not react at the sight of him. An unwelcome memory of seeing Vergo atop of him made his gut twist with burning anger, a regret that would never go away. The man didn't come off as fragile and vulnerable upon first encounter, so seeing this man nearly beaten to death was traumatic.

His defenses were already out the door. Somehow, Sanji was still confidence and nonchalance, and in the candlelight, his hair shone brilliantly, and his shirt collar was loose, revealing all the injuries from last night, along with a bitemark on the incline of his shoulder and neck from the other night. He was reclining on the bed with one knee up and the other leg stretched out, a cookbook on his lap.

And the bastard smiled loosely at Law, even with a split lip and a bruised cheek and he just wanted to throw something across the room because his heart _still_ took a leap.

He stood at the side of the bed, his fists tight for a moment, struggling to keep himself guarded. All he had to do was recall his humiliation and hurt pride, and it helped some.

"Take your shirt off. Luffy wanted me to look at you."

Sanji gave him a smirk that looked rather painful for him. "You've gotten so bold. Haven't you seen enough of me, already?"

Law clenched his back molars and waited, so Sanji set the book aside with a light sigh, and unbuttoned his shirt. It was a pale teal color, bringing out the color of his eyes. He ended up pausing in mid-take off once his torso protested the position. But Sanji kept his pained expression averted because he knew Law wasn't looking at his face at that moment. He schooled his features and then looked up at the other man with a slow smile.

"Can you help me?" he asked, indicating the shirt.

"You are covered in bruises. How do your ribs feel?" Law asked him, reaching out to pull the shirt down and off. He took in the sight of Sanji's mottled skin – his front torso was colored darkly with splotches, swollen, with visible boot imprints on his arms, chest and stomach. When he looked at his back, it wasn't half as bad. He reached out, pressing as gently as he could, searching for any internal deformities.

Sanji gave an involuntary sound of pain once Law pressed against one of his kidneys, and his skin broke out in a light sweat. Law noticed the action, and removed his hand. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, pressing, watching Sanji's response. There were a couple of places where Sanji tried to hide his reaction, but Law caught them. There was nothing he could do about bruising, but he was grateful that was all Sanji had.

He pulled back. "You feel any pain anywhere else?"

Sanji looked up into eyes that looked at him softly. He promptly lost track of everything he was going to say. Suddenly, Law's touches were too gentle, and the man was being too nice, and Sanji couldn't accept that these things were possible. Because he still had nightmares after every fight, and he was still recovering from the traumatic beating that set everything backwards all over again, so he attacked first, because he needed to feel in control again.

"You want to look in my secret spot?" Sanji said, reaching out to hook his finger in one of Law's belt loops, to pull him closer to the bed. "I think I need an injection. I might die, doc."

"Cut the shit."

"Are you over that feeling, thing? I'm surprise you even came up here, after all that. But you said Luffy sent you, so you would've continued to avoid me anyway, right?"

"Yeah," Law said bluntly. "I would. It wouldn't hurt you, though, right?"

"I'd get over you real fast."

It took all Law had not to give the response that immediately came to mind. Sanji leaned back on his hands, then drew a long leg up, planting his bare foot on his hip. Then started turning his toes towards his crotch, his big toe searching.

"C'mon. It sounds like they're busy, down there. Why don't you show me yours after I've shown you mine?" Sanji asked, attempting to grin, but the pull on his injuries was too great so he just smiled instead.

"This is the show you put on for the next customer, right? After the first one left, you couldn't show any pain. They'd complain. And when they'd complain, you'd get punished for it. It's nice acting, real convincing. But it'd be different if your friends actually fell for it, too. The impression I get from them is that you're a fragile lil miss – Luffy told me you were crying in your sleep again. Does that happen often with you?"

Sanji's foot dropped. Then his face hardened, reddened, and Law shifted just in time to avoid the kick to the groin. He walked away from that side of the bed, slipping his hands into his jeans pockets. "You want to act like a whore, do it at an appropriate time. Now's not the time."

"Got some bite on you, now, huh? You really did get your feelings hurt, didn't you? Isn't that a joke? Someone like _you_ , from the place you're running from, you've actually got feelings? It's like a bad joke from God!"

"There is no God, Sanji! There is only man, and man only thinks there is a God because of the things they do themselves! Don't blame your shit on something that doesn't exist, own up to what you're actually in control of."

"Hmf," Sanji muttered, glaring at him. He reached for his shirt, wincing as he struggled to put it back on. Law watched him, ready to stay on the offensive, but suddenly Sanji stopped struggling, and then sat there with the material pooled around his wrists. With his head lowered, he asked, "Can you help me? It hurts."

"If you kick me, I'll break those legs."

Sanji gave an acquiescing gesture, so Law walked back around the bed, Sanji scooting to the edge with his back turned towards him. Law pulled the shirt up and over his shoulders, straightening the collar. He was startled when Sanji leaned back against him, forcing him to support him lest he fell off the bed. Sanji grabbed his hands, holding them tightly within his. He sat there in silence, just rubbing his thumbs over Law's knuckles, Law wondering if he should be saying anything, or doing anything. He was confused, and his defenses were weak, because Sanji smelled good and his touch was what Law himself needed, and he couldn't think of any reason to be mad, anymore.

Sanji tilted his head back to face him, whispering, "Can I kiss you?"

Law couldn't believe himself when he gave in to the request, leaning down to kiss him, and when their lips touched, it was almost perfect.

 _Sucker_ , Zoro thought with disgust, having had enough of eavesdropping. He left the doorway and headed downstairs, certain that things were going to be okay if Sanji was feeling well enough to being himself again.

Sanji released one of his hands, to reach up and cradle the back of his head, to hold him steady as he melded his lips to his. His tongue snaked out, drew over Law's bottom lip, and he sucked that in, tasting his cigarette. Sanji had both hands on the back of his head, twisted up, and his kisses were wet and strong, and he had Law feeling hot for a few moments.

Then Sanji bit his lip hard to remind Law that he was anything but sweet, and the pain was so immediate and intense that Law withdrew away from him with a shocked curse. He shoved Sanji hard, then his fists clenched and he needed to hit something, so he hit the nightstand instead, breaking the single drawer and sending the things atop of it flying to the floor.

" _Fuck_!" Law exclaimed, hand to his bloodied lip, feeling it pulse and bleed. "You fucking asshole!"

"Don't ever call me a whore again," Sanji growled, ready to fight as he watched Law grow infuriated. "You shit ass bastard, you've got no right to call me names!"

Breathing heavily, struggling to control his anger as it raged hotly from the trick, Law looked at him with fury in his features. Blood slipped between his fingers, and he snatched up the edge of the sheet to press against it. But that wasn't working and he was still furious, so he left the room with a violent slam of the door. Standing outside of it, he struggled to get himself back into control. Then he made his way to the bathroom, slamming that door shut. He found a hand towel and pressed that against his bleeding lip, leaning over the sink for a few minutes.

When the bleeding finally stopped, the mirror showed him the angry break of skin, teeth imprints visible. He clutched the edge of the sink and growled, kicking in the door in the cabinet below. Then the rage passed, and he caught his breath, letting the hot feeling go so he could think more clearly.

He heard Kidd laughing uproariously downstairs, Tony screaming at Zoro, Ace talking to Brook. Luffy was complaining and Shachi was protesting the loss of his vegetables. Everyone was so involved with each other downstairs that no one heard what was happening upstairs, and the thunder outside rumbled heavily, rain slapping the window panes.

Ace yelled at Luffy to stop eating his meat, to which Kidd laughed and said something that made Zoro exclaim with disgust. Tony was crying to Brook, and Brook wasn't having any sympathy for him. Shachi was getting angry over Ussop taking his tomatoes, and Ussop was arguing a negative. Their voices weren't loud enough to drown out the storm outside, thunder cracking so heavily that it rattled the windows, the pictures on the wall.

Tony screamed and kicked and threw things around in the hall, Luffy laughing at him and offering to make a run to the store. Ussop wanted to go with them, their voices loud and carrying up the stairway.

"Sanji? Law? You guys want anything?" Luffy called up to them.

"Cigarettes!" Law heard Sanji yell.

"Law? Anything?"

"Licorice! Red!" Law answered shortly.

Luffy laughed. "Can't see you as a candy guy, but okay. Let's go!"

"Make Tony wear a jacket!" Law then shouted, leaving the bathroom, tossing the towel aside. He made his way back to the bedroom, kicking the door open.

"You guys stop fucking this place up! This is a nice place!" Ace shouted.

"You're a fucking piece of work, you shitty piece of ass," Law snarled as Sanji looked at him with surprise, where he'd been standing by the window with a cigarette, a disgusted look on his own face. "Where the fuck do you get off thinking you can treat anybody this way, after all that shit that's been done to you? You think you're fucking above it? You throw around all this shit about my past like it doesn't hurt me, and it's clear that you can't even leave your own! You think you're still living there! You might be way out here in the goddamn desert, but your fucking attitude is still back there in that house they worked you in!"

"Oh, ho ho ho, listen to you, all angry and shit," Sanji said, flicking his cigarette at him. "Back off, dick head. Don't come at me like that."

"What is your fucking problem with me? Get it all out right here, let's move past this!"

"'Move past this'?" Sanji repeated dumbly. He looked at the bite he'd left, and winced. But then he turned to face him fully, judging the distance between them. "My thing is this 'feelings' business! You shouldn't have any!"

Law noticed the measure Sanji had taken, and took a step back, just in case the man decided to attack. "No, that's dumb, that's a lame ass fucking excuse –"

"It's not dumb! I just don't understand it! _Why_? How? Look at what I've done, look at what I did for you! _You're_ the stupid one that has no feelings, how could you _even_ have feelings for me? You don't know me, jackass! The only fucking thing you know about me is that I'm fucking amazing in bed, and that's all you need to know!"

"Yes, I have feelings! Yes, they might be a little screwed up, but I have them, and how the fuck can you be so cold hearted as to toy with them in such a humiliating way? You look down at me with such scorn because you think I shouldn't have any, but I do, damn it, _I do_! And for some fucking shitty ass reason, I have them for you!"

"That's your own fault," Sanji said with a bitter expression. "I've nothing to give to you. I don't know why you'd want to, anyway, after what's been done to me. I don't know how to give you anything other than my winning personality."

"Just…quit giving me shit. Okay?"

"…That's it?"

"Yeah. I'm sure the rest of it will work out, however it does."

Sanji turned to face him, giving him a bewildered look. "What am I supposed to do? What – what do you expect, _what_ \- ?"

"I don't know, okay? I just know that – every time you look at me, I lose all thought. Okay? You – I never would've done anything like this, but then you came along and then – I just don't know. I never thought I'd get this far, anyway, I just…"

"What about our past? What about - ?"

"Just – it's common ground. I did some things I ain't proud of, but there were reasons behind it, and – you have yours. You have yours, that's a part of you, that's not something I'd resent or hold against you, it's just…we're alive for a reason. We shouldn't let it continue to control us the further we get away from it."

"That's impossible. That's impossible, I can't even function around - !"

"That should be expected! If you were fine with things, then I'd most likely think you're crazy, but they obviously do, and…it takes time. It took me years to get this far with myself, I don't expect it to be easy for you. Just…stop fucking biting me and fighting me and making feel like a dumb ass all the time."

Sanji stared at him with disbelief. "And that's all you want from me?"

Law looked back at him with discomfort. "Yeah."

Sanji didn't know what to say. He continued to give him a bewildered look. Then he sputtered, "But I told you before, I'm – I _chase_. I have problems. I – use it – I – you're not the only one out there, you said you get jealous, I can't just – it wouldn't be fair, I don't know _how_ to be fair, I – "

He looked down at the hand that extended to him. He reached up to touch his own shirt, his hands close to himself. He looked back at Law with some nervousness, unsure of what direction this would lead. Unsure of himself, and unsure of the outcome.

"As long as you come to me. In the end. I'll try not to react."

"That's _unfair_ to you."

"It might be, but…I want attention, too. I want to be noticed, too. And when you gave me a chance, I just…never realized how lonely I'd felt all this time. And suddenly you filled that void."

Sanji felt himself shaking. "Those are real nice words. I want to believe them. I want to think that they can be applied to me."

"I have some time."

 _Did they_? Sanji wondered, thinking about the incoming storm. That made his decision for him. He reached out and took his hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** This chapter is the calm before the storm...just a warning.

 **Naghi-Tan: haha yaaassss I'm glad you do! Kinda makes up for being an ass**

 **Snowflake97: I'd always thought Luffy was rather attached to Sanji - he is practically the first one Luffy goes to after a battle (even if it's just for food! :D)**

 **Chic: lol thanks!**

 **Guest#1: I love westerns, and i love huge showdowns. I'm glad you like my idea - i wish i could read more of this type of genre here. Hope you continue to enjoy the rest of it!**

 **Part Twelve**

"What _is_ this?" Law asked with thinly veiled disgust, prodding at some of the mysterious lumps in what Kidd declared as stew. The dinner table was messy with the guys' creations, and the discussions were lively, with much laughter and appreciation over the feast. To his left, Tony was still argumentative and clearly tired, but fighting every moment of sleep. Luffy and Ussop sat next to Tony, with Zoro at one end of the table, then Ace, Shachi, Brook and Kidd on the other. Sanji had claimed he was too tired to join them, emotionally overwhelmed with everything, wanting no more than to sleep.

"Just eat it! This is what puts on muscle!" Kidd snapped at him, reaching over and pushing the bowl closer to him. "You could use it, you bony bastard. Oh, wait, one moment…"

He reached out and took the fork Law was using and gave him a spoon instead. "There. Now I feel safer being around you."

"Oh? So you think me having a spoon is less threatening?" Law asked, leaning on a palm as he reached out and touched Kidd's face with it.

Kidd jerked away from him. "Someone switch me spots! This dude is fucking creepy!"

"Try this," Shachi said, exchanging the stew dish with a bowl of vegetable soup. "It's great!"

"How's Penguin?" Ace then asked, leaning over the table.

Dipping his spoon in the soup, Law dribbled the contents over and over again within the center of the bowl. "It's still early to say. There is still a chance of infection, the hospital isn't well equipped. If we have to, we'll just have to load him up – along the way, we'll need some antibiotics, some painkillers, bandages. He hasn't wakened, yet, and that's the concerning part. If he doesn't wake within the next few days, I have to assume that the head injury did him in."

"He's in good hands with you, please don't give up!" Shachi said, looking upset for a few moments.

"He'll pull through!" Luffy said with confidence. "If you're capable of all that back East, then this should be no problem at all."

"It's not that I can't fix him, Strawhat, it's the _after_ that I'm concerned about. There are infections that can take root from the point of removal if he doesn't have the right treatment. We'll have to move him when his body hasn't fully healed – he might end up pulling stitches and bleeding to death anyway. He needs to be monitored constantly until he's sufficiently healed."

"He'll make it," Luffy assured him. Then he patted Shachi on the back. "Your friend is tough! It'll be okay!"

"Thanks, man. Both of you."

"It's actually 'Monkey'," Ace then said to Law. "Not Strawhat."

"I don't give a fuck."

Ace gave him an insulted expression. "Anti-social dick."

"Why isn't Blackleg eating?" Kidd then asked, bowl in both hands, his mouth covered with sauce. "Like that guy can't afford to _not_ eat, too."

"Tired. Leave him alone," Luffy warned.

Kidd mimicked him before resuming slurping at his bowl, Ace chuckling. "You're such a pushover, ass, despite that macho appearance you've got going. Go put a shirt on. Only manly men can go without."

" _You_!"

"He needs to train himself harder," Zoro muttered. Then quickly blocked the punch that Luffy swung at him, both of them fighting for a few moments, Ace laughing and pulling Luffy away with a painful catch hold that had Luffy shrieking for mercy. Zoro grumbled and resumed eating while Luffy pleaded with his brother to let go.

Law ignored their antics and tried the soup, then removed the spoon from his mouth, looking at it with a startled expression. Shachi grinned. "It's his favorite! It's not borscht, though, that stuff's disgusting."

"What's 'borscht'?" Luffy asked with a mouthful of barbequed meat.

"Rosinante's favorite dish."

"Who's Rosinante?" Zoro then asked, lowering his fork.

Reluctantly, Law set aside his spoon, and used the butter knife to shred some of the chicken from the bone. Kidd reached over and took that away from him as well.

"Short and simple – Rosinante is Doflamingo's younger brother. He doesn't agree with his older brother's methods. Therefore, he has been working all these years with the Marines in dismantling the family down from the inside. That's it."

"Why weren't you involved?" Kidd asked him curiously. "Instead of being all the way out here, why aren't you still back there, doing what he does?"

Law stirred his soup for a bit, still leaning on one palm. Lost in thought, he answered the question. "I didn't know he was undercover. He didn't tell me of it until the day I left. When I carved those bastards up, I had thought he was just indulging in my anger at that time. But with my help, he'd succeeded in eliminating the child sex trafficking ring they were involved in. Normally, to be honest, I would've kept a blind eye to their sick shit because it didn't involve me. But they made the mistake of bringing me one of their newest recruits that they'd wanted fixed up after they used her. I wanted to leave a nice impression after their deaths, so I also mailed off their genitals and their hands to their partners in crime, and their hearts to the police department – I sent Doffy a nice little care package with Trebol's balls just in case he felt he needed to kiss them one last time before they put him in the ground."

Law had to laugh. "I wish I could've seen his face when he found them. I bet he threw a horrible tantrum with the loss of his mentor."

All the men, save for Luffy and Tony, looked at him with revulsion. Kidd's fork dropped out of his hand and Ace sputtered into his milk once he realized it was dribbling over his lap. Even Zoro looked disturbed, and he didn't usually make any expression other than the scowl he wore.

Luffy laughed. "Ha ha! Well, that was awesome of you, Traffy! The less of those bastards on the street, the less we have to worry about, right?"

"I don't understand what was said," Tony confessed.

"But the point is, I didn't know Rosinante was involved with the Marines until then. If he'd let me know earlier, I would have told Doffy, because I held no allegiance to anyone other than Doffy at the time. Quite simply, I was happy with the power I had in the hospital, and had everything I ever wanted and needed, and everything that I didn't even know I needed, so, as spoiled as I was, I would've never allowed Rosinante to continue doing what he was doing. He caught me at the right moment, though. If that toddler had been taken to someone else, I wouldn't be here, today. I'd still be over there, delighted in my work."

"Okay, you need to stop talking, now. The more you spew, the more psycho you are, and the more I want to try and kill you in your sleep just to save the rest of us," Kidd said. He looked at Shachi. "Is this guy for real?"

"He was worse, back then," Shachi confessed with a wince.

"There has to be more than that," Kidd then said. "If that's fucking true, Rosinante is in big trouble, now. Aren't we going to do anything about his position? What's plan A, then?"

"There is no plan A for Rosinante. Rosinante will figure out what he needs to do with himself."

"Can you give me bigger answers than that?"

"No."

"Goddamn you! Damn you and your – you were sent here to fucking annoy me, weren't you? I'm onto you, now, old man. You and me will have words one of these days."

"As long as you give them back after using them."

" _What does that even mean_?"

"Inside voices, Kidd," Ace said, burping.

"Yeah, okay, dad!"

"Call me _daddy_."

Luffy laughed uproariously as Kidd flung his empty bowl at him across the table. Zoro complained as he was splattered with stew juice, Tony knocking his cup over as he reached for a refill. He immediately blamed Brook for it, his whiny voice lifting a couple of octaves as Luffy threw him a towel. Law lifted his soup bowl to escape the juice that spread over their side of the table, grumbling as Tony cleaned sloppily before demanding more candy. As he was denied, he started complaining loudly, Ace tossing a piece of potato in his direction with a command to settle down.

"So, are we set on moving out tomorrow?" Ussop asked. "We can load the train early in the morning with the wagon. We'll just add another car to it."

"Are we naming our train?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"Are we on the same wavelength?" Ussop asked him in a similar tone.

Kidd spoke over them. "We've got to be quick about it. No doubt the Marines have heard that we'd killed one of their own, and a big name at that. Forget the tracks, I bet they're on their way on horses and shit."

"That's it, then. We load up. Just make Penguin as comfortable as possible, we have to go. We can't do anything for him, here," Ace said. "Make sure that car has horse stalls, or something in there, too."

"We have three horses!" Luffy cried. "How awesome! Shachi! Go shopping for something other than what you're wearing now, and get some fringe! I want the real authentic cowboy look!"

"Ha ha, that's not my style, so no."

"I'll check the post office to see if we'd received any messages," Brook said. "I doubt sending anything now will be helpful, considering we don't know where the others are. I'm sure once they get here, they'll know we've been here. I'll just leave a message at the post office for them to pick up."

"Good idea. It's a better climate, so Tony should be okay. But after this, we're headed back East to go find treatment," Luffy said. "The west coast will have to wait another day. Are we agreed?"

"Yeah!"

"What are we going to do, tomorrow, men? Sound off!"

"Load the train!" Ussop and Shachi said together.

"Find supplies!" Ace contributed.

"And a shirt! I'm going to blow the tracks at the end of town for insurance," Kidd said. "Then raid the police station for some ammunition for you guys. I'm sure they won't mind, they ain't using it now that we're getting out of here."

"Visit the post office!" Brook said.

Zoro thought for a moment, then added, "I'll assist with the supplies, as well."

"Load up on candy, and take all useful items for our first aid kit in the hospital, since they don't use it," Tony said. "No one minds, right?"

Luffy looked at Law, but he was already walking away from the table, dumping the soup into the kitchen sink while Shachi looked insulted. Kidd shouted after him, "Come back here and contribute like a real team member!"

Luffy shrugged, fist out so the others could meet it over the table. "Let's do this!"

: :

The next morning, Sanji struggled into a pullover, then belted his pants. Once he was dressed, he winced at the sight of his reflection in the mirror, running a finger over the swollen places, over the angry colors. Then he applied a bit of oil to his wrists and back of his neck. After feeling satisfied in that he wasn't a grungy beast like the others were, he packed all his toiletries into his travel case, then returned to the room. Luffy was sprawled over the entire width of the bed, Tony sleeping at the edge. Sanji packed his suitcase, then lifted a foot, kicking Luffy lightly. The boy only rolled to the side with a sleepy snort, and Sanji looked out the window to see that the sky was lightening only slightly. He leaned down and coaxed Tony awake, telling him to go take a bath. The boy did so sleepily, rubbing his eyes, yawning heavily. Sanji laid his clothes out for him, then shook Luffy awake once more, but the teen just rolled over with a grumble and Sanji figured he'd wake himself once Tony came back.

Sanji gingerly took the stairs, then walked into the kitchen. He stopped short, looking at the room with horror, then over at the dining room. Both were in mortal disarray, and there was a big man sleeping on the floor near the back exit, snoring heavily. With a low growl, he went to work.

After cleaning up the mess in the sink and counters, he cleaned the stovetop, then dumped all the trash outside. Kidd woke up in the middle of it, and Sanji turned to face him, watching him warily while the man grumbled, his red hair everywhere. He didn't give Sanji any notice at all, walking off to find a bathroom, but Sanji didn't relax until he heard a door shut down the hall. He resumed cleaning, then pulled out what was left of the food to start breakfast.

By the time the food was done and coffee was made, the sun had peeked up over the mountains in the distance, and the winds were picking up. The storm was coming in earlier, this time, thunder booming in the distance, and he gave an annoyed huff as he poured coffee, hearing Luffy and Tony arguing over the bath. Ace was suddenly there next to Sanji, causing him to startle as the man snatched his cup. Sanji jerked back away from him, coffee sloshing onto the counter as he put distance between them.

"You're a jumpy guy," Ace commented, walking out the back door. He stretched and gave a manly shout doing it, causing dogs to bark in the distance.

After settling his heart from the scare, Sanji poured a few more cups, doctoring those that he was familiar with, and then packed a tray with a few cups, the pot and couple of plates with food. He left the house and walked to the hospital. Shachi was still asleep, and Law was replacing the bandages on Penguin. When he realized Sanji was there, he looked over at the man with a frown, and Sanji mused that he was only trying to guess what sort of mood he was in. So he gave Law as much of a cheery smile as he could, flipping his hair from his face as he set the tray down on the only desk there, shuffling aside abandoned paperwork to do so.

"Breakfast," he said. "And coffee. We've got a busy day, today."

"Smells good. That coffee."

"How do you take it?"

"Just a little sugar. Please."

" _What is that_?" Shachi asked, rousing himself from sleep, nearly falling off the table as he stumbled over to where Sanji was standing. Sanji handed him a plate, and Shachi made a face as he looked over the fluffiest eggs he'd ever seen, plus perfectly browned bacon, hash and tomatoes, the hash drizzled with a brown sauce. "Where the hell were you, last night? This is what we should've been eating!"

"Sorry, I was indisposed."

Shachi was eating before Sanji walked away, taking a sip of the coffee he'd just fixed for Law. He walked up to the other man, handing him the mug. Law took it, and Sanji winced at the sight of the bite he'd left on him.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized, reaching up to run his fingers through his own hair. "That's going to be there awhile, isn't it?"

After taking a sip, Law nodded. His eyes coursed over the other man, finding that Sanji wasn't moving as stiffly as he was, last night. But he did take a few moments to appreciate the presentation before him – Sanji was wearing his black trousers, again, the ones that fit and framed all his parts with precision. He had a t-shirt on that looked crisp and new, his boots already muddied from the outside. Law could smell him, that clean, spicy scent that had hooked him in the first time they met. On one hand, it was rather ridiculous that there could be a man as clean as Sanji strutting about in the dirty town in the desert, but at the same time, Law wasn't complaining. He could sit there and watch Sanji all day, and consider it time well spent. He remembered the task he was doing, taking another sip of coffee before turning away, setting the mug aside.

"It's okay. It's worth it."

Sanji flushed, having no idea what to do with his hands, so they went up to his own neck to rub anxiously. He gave a nervous look at him, inwardly appreciating the rugged good looks of the other man. He had to wonder why he kept himself so covered up, hiding strong, broad shoulders and a trim form. Sanji bit his lip, remembering how it all felt up against him; the washboard abs under his palms, the feel of his long legs entwined around his, the way his black hair felt in his fingers. Sanji especially liked the feel of his rough hands on his body, the way callouses caught on his skin, the feel of strong fingers stroking him carefully. It was such a contradiction, and he couldn't get enough of it. He was able to put his earlier fluster on the back burner, leaning on the table with his palms on the metal.

"That's what you want? Out in the open?" he asked low, maintaining eye contact with him. "That's sexy, when you look at me like that. Are you a morning person, Law?"

Law managed to crack a lopsided grin, looking at him with the same intensity. "I'm an all day sort of person, Sanji."

"Heh, heh, oh, I know you are." Bumping against Penguin's prone form forced Sanji to remember where he was, pulling back from the table with a wince as he realized what he was doing. To apologize, he kissed the unconscious man on the forehead. "Eat up, you two! It's going to be a long day!"

He turned and walked away while Law watched him go, a low whistle leaving him. He then went back to fixing Penguin's bandages, and Shachi ate in awkward silence, feeling like a third wheel.

Smoking a cigarette, Sanji walked back to the house. He blew smoke to the morning air, watching as people moved about in the streets. Dogs barked, following after their owners, and horses called out from the stables. The storm was gathering in the east, moving their way with a rumble of thunder and lightening, and the rain smelled heavenly. Birds chirped in nearby trees and a wagon passed through with a couple of horses that tossed their heads, their driver looking near asleep his seat. But once he saw Sanji, his head lifted and whipped around to look after him with an appreciative grin.

Tossing the butt aside, he walked back in, and saw that everyone was eating, almost as if it were a slugfest. Food was being flung over the table as grabby hands pulled at near empty bowls, and growls and curses filled the air. He walked back outside and lit another cigarette, sitting on one of the porch chairs to try and figure out what Law wanted from him.

Later on, everyone had taken off in different directions. Shachi and Ussop had pulled their train up to the station, and had added another car – much to the frustration of their owners, of which Shachi pointed out belonged to the Doflamingo family. Now that Ussop was more aware of it, the more he realized how often he saw that particular family crest on everyday things. Luffy had spent some time painting on 'their' symbol on the cars that had everyone protesting the childishly drawn design. Some of the townspeople that stayed even came up to them, offering cooked meals to take, some supplies. They were bar regulars, so they were appreciative of the good times they'd had with the crew. A few of the ladies showed up in a small group, to give out flowers and kisses, tittering over the ones that caught their eye.

Sanji cleaned the house while everyone was out, and made sure the others had their things packed and ready to go. He made some snacks and lunches for later. The storm came in early, and the rain made the roads slick with mud, and he gave up trying to keep the place clean as the guys tromped in from time to time. He wrote an apology note to the owners and set down some money, having to swat Kidd for trying to take it.

By the time they were ready to roll out to the train, it was mid-afternoon. The train was already steaming, puffs of smoke drifting in the violent wind and rain, and thunder rumbled noisily above them. The horses were loaded in the stall cart, along with the wagon with the fifty cal; Penguin was settled in a corner of the passenger car on a mattress and a frame Ussop had made for him, along with all their food and material supplies. Everyone had their things packed in, and all they had to do was roll out.

Kidd had blown up the tracks near the train wreck and was the last to arrive. He did so breathlessly, cursing the rain as he swept his hair from his face. Lightening cracked over the skies, rain hitting them at an angle as the wind blew violently around them. There were immense puddles growing in the mud around them, and the train station was briefly abandoned, well wishers quickly hurrying off. The women that were swooning over the men left with their umbrellas, and men hurried off with their hats down low.

From his position on the platform away from them, Law watched a cowboy give Sanji a small bag that made Sanji exclaim with surprise once he looked inside. Whatever it was caused the man an awkwardly wide smile, and Sanji thanked him with some words that made the man gesture at the train station. He leaned in to hug him, the other man looking absolutely delighted by the attention and the things being whispered in his ear, but suddenly Luffy was there, chasing him off with some shooing motions and a scolding that was lost in the sounds of the storm. The pair of them walking back to the train, Sanji showing Luffy the contents of the bag. Law looked away with a slight smile of his own, touching the bitemark on his lip that still ached.

"They're coming in fast!" Kidd announced, his jacket hood pulled over his head, where it was soaked against the shape of it. Towering over the others, he said, "On horses! I counted 13 wagons, 60 riders. A wagon holds about 8, right? What's the math on that, brat?"

Tony counted on his fingers, drew on the air, then said, "104 riders in wagons, so 164 all together!"

Ussop looked as if he were going to faint.

Kidd wrung out his bandanna, flicking it through the air, before he tied it on around his neck. It matched the garish color of his pants, causing Ussop to make a face at the presentation. "And that's only from the south! There's bound to be more once they get the tracks going! You guys really fucked up, didn't you?"

"That doesn't sound like much!" Luffy said. He was wearing a rain coat, and had his strawhat tucked inside, which left his head soaking wet, hair dripping in his eyes. "Once we get settled, I expect more of them! Make sure they see us leaving!"

"We're the only train on the tracks, I'm sure we'll be fine," Ace said, adjusting his hat. He finally picked up a jacket of his own, and had a couple of flowers hanging out the pocket. "Are we ready to roll out?"

"Few more minutes! Shachi, Brook and Zoro are loading up the last of our shit."

"Well, let's go stand around by them and make sure they do it properly," Ace suggested with a wide grin, the pair of them walking down the platform to where the other guys were. Tony followed, much to Sanji's protest, but the boy wasn't going to miss out on the fun. Sanji looked over to where Law was standing, frowning off to the north, so he pulled his jacket over his head and went over in that direction. A horse and its rider were coming in fast, and Sanji lit a cigarette, turning his back against the wind to do so.

"What is that?"

"Mail."

"How can you tell?"

"Mustangs take to the terrain a lot easier. They're built stronger."

"A horse is a horse, to me."

"But he's not a regular post man. He's wearing a bag. It's a messenger."

"How can you see that much detail from so far away?" Sanji asked incredulously, holding the jacket above his head with one arm, the other over his eyes to squint. Law looked at him with amusement, then, adjusting his jacket hood over his own hat.

"Shielding your eyes will help you see better?"

"Hey, Luffy squints to hear better, and Ussop leans his head in order to 'see' sharper. Some of us have quirks, Mr Perfect."

"Oh? Here, when you're around, I can hardly look away from you."

"Ah," Sanji looked at him, flushing once he realized what was happening. His mind went completely blank at the expression from the other man. He didn't know how or what to think as he looked up into that face. When Law tapped his lips, Sanji hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss, feeling self conscious as he did so. Without the surroundings of the bar, or even a private area, doing something he considered very personal made him feel as if he were doing something he wasn't supposed to. But the storm was raging, they were on a part of the platform that blocked them off from the others, and there was hardly anyone around. He pulled back with a nervous look around, but then he noticed Law still smiling at him.

"I wanted some of _that_ , but that was even better," he said, pointing at the cigarette. Sanji grew flustered once more, handing it over as he blushed.

"After last night, I don't feel my perky, confident self. You have me thrown all out of whack."

Law gave him his cigarette back, but this time he stepped in closer, causing Sanji to look at him nervously, wind and rain whipping his jacket around his arms and torso. "Yeah, well, you might not feel perky, but there's other parts of you that are definitely making up for it."

Sanji jerked back with a laugh once he felt the other man's hand on his ass. "Wow, you're _naughty_. Hands off, jerk. For a guy that likes hanging out by himself, you can get quite bold when you're offered a piece."

"Hopefully all those pieces eventually make their way to me," Law replied, leaning down and kissing him, Sanji holding his jacket up higher to accommodate the action.

"I like when you say those things to me," he murmured against the other man's lips. "You sure have a nice way of delivering. A boy can lose his head believing in all of that."

"Then it's safe to say a man can lose his heart in the same way."

Sanji's cheeks reddened, but he didn't look away, feeling immensely pleased and afraid at the same time, and he didn't know what to say but look up into his eyes and want more of it. They kissed again, and he lost himself in the moment, feeling breathless and scared, finding it difficult to think.

"Ugh, _gross_. I knew it. It _was_ for a _guy_ ," Kidd said with disgust, causing Sanji to jerk away with a terrified expression. The man was standing just a short distance away, and his heart slammed in his chest, rendering him frozen with fear. The man's size absolutely intimidated him. "When you're done, I need you to come shoot something. I'm assuming your weapon is long range, right? Hey, Blackleg, chill out. Like, it's not a secret you're into guys and shit. And, to be honest, you're probably all the ass he'll ever get in life because he's such a fucking psycho."

"I'm starting to feel stalked," Law said, turning away from Sanji, giving no indication that he was bothered by Kidd's discovery of them.

"You jerk! You're always giving me a hard time, you need to knock it off! I didn't have to do this, but I did because I have a gentle and kind heart! What's your fucking excuse? Do you even have one? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, you goddamn psychopath."

They walked off and Sanji stood there, the rain beating down on him, but once he saw that Kidd was still running his mouth off to Law and their body languages read nothing but friendly familiarity, he looked around himself. There was no one else about, but he felt as if he'd been knocked off the platform. His face felt warm from the earlier moment, the rain doing nothing to cool him down, so he pulled his jacket on and adjusted the hood. He felt dizzy and off balanced, and he walked off to join the others, feeling a little upset over how Kidd approached them.

"That's a scout," Kidd pointed, at a lone rider lingering at the outskirts of town. "He's watching us."

"Strawhat wanted them to know where we're going."

"We've left a huge impression on the town, man. They're gonna know where we're going! Just shoot him, or at least disable him, so he can't - !"

The crack of the long rifle had him wheeling away with a startled exclamation. Kidd righted himself to watch the rider fall, the horse hitting the mud without any movement. The rider crawled away, then hurried off for cover.

"Where's the warning?" Kidd then snarled at him. Then he rubbed his ear with a sigh. "Can the few of us even handle that much guys?"

"They seem to think so."

"You know, we're all probably going to die up there. But it'll be one of the most greatest shoot outs in the history out here!"

"That's what they're aiming, for."

"Yeah, but then, do I really want to die doing this? I mean, it ain't about me! Maybe I want to live!"

"Then don't get shot, or leave, now," Law told him, turning and walking back to the train with Kidd trailing after him with a frustrated expression.

"You spent the last three years hiding away from Doflamingo, and _now_ you'd rather die in a shootout that doesn't _involve_ you?" Kidd asked him. "What the fuck was the effort for, anyway? You can still get out of it!"

It made sense, but Law wasn't about to get into it with Kidd. The rain dripping off his hat, he scanned the platform and spotted the others making their way back to the passenger car, Shachi and Ussop hurrying ahead to the engine.

"We're leaving."

As they were walking up to the platform, he heard a shout in the distance. He paused and looked back, seeing the rider from earlier running up to them. Once he realized the messenger intended on delivering, he felt a little jolt of anxiety hit him.

"Are you Trafalgar?" he was asked, the rider middle aged and rangey, handling the bag carefully. At the confirmation, the rider gave him a look of revulsion. He couldn't hand over the bag fast enough, and once Law took it, surprised at the weight, the rider turned and hurried off without another word.

For a few moments, Law looked at the bag. It was alarmingly heavy, darkly stained at the bottom, and his chest started to feel tight. Thunder boomed noisily overhead, rattling the platform. The bag was round, bulging, and a foul smell emerged from it. Flies hovered briefly, startled out of the bag's loosely closed mouth. Suddenly, his blood ran cold. He thought of the message he'd sent the other day, and felt his stomach drop. The round bulge had him rooted with terror so sharp and invasive that he couldn't bring himself to open it and look inside. Rain fell harshly, and the sound fell away.

All that ran through his thoughts was Rosinante at that moment. The older man with his goofy smile, the frantic signing, the love and devotion he gave in keeping him from harm all these years. Blood rushed, making it difficult to concentrate on anything. All he knew was that sending the message was a mistake, and Doflamingo had sent him a reply.

His hand shook, and for the first time in a very long time, terror left him paralyzed, unable to say or do a thing.

Sanji startled him, the other man taking the bag with a concerned expression. "Are you okay? What's wrong? What's this?" he asked, opening the bag.

Law snatched it from him, but the weight of it terrified him. He couldn't bring himself to look inside, clutching the strap tightly as he forced himself to look at the stain. It would be like Doffy to send him something like this, but years upon years of thinking Rosinante would always be there seemed to collide within itself.

Sanji took it away from him, and looked inside, and Law watched his expression, unable to move. Sanji's face turned startled, then revolted, his hand over his nose and mouth. He looked as if he were going to throw the bag, but he reached in, and Law lifted a hand in a stopping gesture, but Sanji was pulling out a covered bowl, the entirety of the shape causing Law to stop. Dropping the bag, Sanji lifted the lid with a disgusted sound, then looked at Law with a confused expression.

"It's…soup….or something. It's rotten! Fuck, it smells bad!" he exclaimed, showing Law the contents of the bowl. He recognized the rotten shapes floating around, the creamy red color the cause of the stain of the bag.

Everything rushed to his face with unexpected action, and he slapped the bowl out of Sanji's hand with an enraged curse. But the slender metal tube that hit the platform caused him pause. Sanji picked it up, looking up at him with intense confusion.

Just seeing it made all the terror and anger disappear. Then Law started to laugh aloud, reaching for it. "Fucking dumbass of an old man," he said. "I can't believe he sent me this stupid soup of his."

"What is that? It's cold!"

"It's a refrigerated transport tube. It keeps medication cold while in transit. This is what I'd sent away for. I'm glad it arrived when it did, or otherwise we would've missed it."

"What kind of medication? I didn't know you were sick!"

"It's for Tony. It's the cure for the TB virus."

Sanji stared at him in disbelief. He didn't want to believe it, at first, sure that he heard wrong. He pushed his wet hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear. "You said there wasn't a cure. Just a treatment to stave off the infection."

"I didn't say anything because I didn't want anybody's hopes up. But it's a cure. It'll eliminate the virus completely. It's a breakthrough in medical science, but it's in the wrong hands. It can only be bought by certain people, they haven't even applied for a patent because they don't want the government catching wind of it." Law closed his hand on the tube. "I know it works. It was used on me when I was a kid. I lost my entire family to it before they picked me up. They have several types, based on different strains. This one is suited for the region you said you picked him up from."

Sanji stared at it for a few moments, then exhaled heavily. He looked at him sharply. "You…you were in contact with somebody? Rosinante?"

"Yes." Law studied the tube for a few moments, aware of the rotten soup spilled at their feet. "Sanji. Here I'm holding something that saves the life of one, but takes the life of another. I've never felt this helpless, before."

Sanji understood. He reached out and hugged the man tightly, not knowing what to say.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** chapters ahead make me nervous, and I'm writing the damn thing.

 **Part Thirteen**

The train ride took most of the day to complete. By the time they'd come into sight of the ghost town, the stars were starting to flutter to life, the moon only a sliver in the sky. But the town was as empty as Shachi had said; the only houses to remain being only rickety cabins, with dilapidated fences around old corrals, with burned buildings that didn't give much protection from the elements. But it would do, Luffy decided.

"It's good," he said, leaning against the rail of the back cab. The train tracks were at an angle to the town, so they had a good view of it as they came up to it. There were hills just beyond the town, and beyond that, large formations of rock that offered some good high ground to use. "This place is good! Looks like we left the storms behind us!"

"I don't know, Luffy, it doesn't look like it provides a lot of cover," Ace said with uncertainty, for the first time feeling nervousness build.

"It's enough," Luffy said with a firm nod. "That's more than we need. It's out of the way, no one else but us will be harmed."

"You're right. There's no chance for any wildfires if anything happens, and we can use all those rocks to pull back if we need to. I think, though, we're going to have to set up a fireline – that way, once they're in deep, we'll just burn them from the outside in," Ace said, pointing.

"I'm not burning anybody up. If that's your plan and it's going to benefit us all, then go at it, Ace. But make sure none of us get hurt."

"Right-o."

Meanwhile, the others were looking out the windows with consternation.

"We're gonna die," Ussop said with confidence. "All of us."

"You bastard! You set us up!" Sanji snapped at Shachi, who cowered.

"This place was _huge_ the last time I was here!" he protested, working in the tender, Brook helping him shovel. "It didn't look like this six months ago! There must've not been any gold in those hills! But look! The Skypiea river runs through here, it's right over there, beyond that ridge. It runs up over into that canyon over there – it's huge, if we need to, we can meet up there."

"No worries. Look, there are good ridges in the area to shoot from," Law then said, pointing them out. "Ussop and I can set up there and there, pick off what we can to lessen the numbers. Set that crybaby in the middle, there, near the platform. They're going to park their wagons away from us – they won't all come in at once. They'll come in graduated waves. Zoro, Ace, Luffy, Sanji – you four stay in town and take on the ones that come in. As long as we have them spread out, we'll be fine."

" _Perfect_!" Luffy cried.

"Horseshit! We're going to die! Gimme that book, I'm writing out a will," Kidd said, snatching Tony's book from him.

"Shachi, you'll stay with Penguin and Tony," Ace said. "We'll load him up and place you guys near the canyon so you'll get out safely."

"Look!" Luffy suddenly screamed with excitement, pointing at the train station. There was a faint light ahead, and as faces were pressed against the window, they could see people lingering on the platform, waving them in. "it's the rest of the crew! They made it! Zoro! Sanji! They made it! Haha!"

"That's cool. Now I don't feel so bad about dying in the middle of no where, I can die in the middle of nowhere _with_ friends," Zoro said with dry laughter.

"Only you would think about dying so easily. We're going to kick ass, now that we have a bigger number!" Sanji said.

"Shut up, you."

The reunion was a cheerful one. As Law walked off the train with Bepo in tow, he saw that there were two women in the group, as well as two men. While it made their numbers a little larger, he wasn't too confident with who he saw.

There was Nami, a redhead in a short, revealing dress and jewelry that made it look as if she'd just stepped off a ballroom floor; there was Nico Robin, dressed in men's wear with a mysterious smile and empty thigh holsters; a very tall man that made Kidd look small, with bigger muscles to boot – but he had a very heavy handlebar mustache, wore only pants, and had various scars running all over his body. Then there was a red-haired man with one arm, looking surprisingly familiar, but Law couldn't remember where he'd last seen him.

The crew all bounced around each other, introducing their newest members with flair and cheer, and Law ignored it all to take Bepo to a nearby yard, the horse tossing his head with anxiety. He calmed him, giving him a couple of sugar cubes that Sanji had given Tony earlier, and set the saddle on a rail nearby. Then he went looking for a cabin that wasn't a total wreck, finding a one bedroom shack with one bare wall but a sure floor and what looked to be running water. He turned it on, exhaling heavily as he realized that Luffy's confidence in Penguin's survival had to be the only thing that would keep the man alive because this town lacked anything that resembled material comfort. He shifted aside some wood furniture to make space for Penguin's stretcher, then removed his hat to wipe his forehead with a weary sigh.

"Claiming your space already, friend?"

Law looked back to seeing the red haired man leaning against the front door, the sounds of everyone else in the distance loud and ringing over the dark, desert area. The man looked so familiar, and he had to wonder if it were because he'd worked on him, before.

But he said nothing in response, trying to judge the kind of character that he was.

"I recognize those tats," he said, walking into the cabin. He set a candle down on a dusty counter top, and lit a match. Holding the bottom to the flame, he waited a few beats before setting it firmly atop of the wood and then lighting the wick. "Long way from home, Trafalgar."

"How is it that all of you old farts know me before I know you?" Law asked with impatience.

"I'm not that old!" came the return. "Anyway, I'm shocked that that brat made a friend out of you. You actually seem rather civil, this time around. Must've been all those years living on your own, without Rosinante's caring touch. I told that man he spoiled you too much. I'm Shanks, by the way. You probably don't remember me, but Doffy and I had a deal that fell through years ago, and we had some words. How is Doffy doing, by the way? Did he get that smile fixed?"

"I don't remember anybody named Shanks. I didn't bother to learn names, considering how short lived relationships are with them."

"I liked you when I heard about what you did to Trebol and Diamante. That was beautiful. Disgusting, but beautiful! When I heard what happened, I just had to tell my friends, _That guy's got moxie_! That guy will be the one to take Doffy down! Not his brother. But Rosinante did his best to ruin the business aspect. The family will fall, soon, it's just a matter of time until they've got enough evidence to ruin them," Shanks said. "I honestly thought Doffy took you out back and shot like you like he'd always threatened to do, but, damn, once word began picking up about you still around, I'd hoped to meet you in person."

"I still don't know who you are."

"You wouldn't. When Rosinante and I met at the train station back there, you were obviously not paying any attention. Of course, that guy was stuck pretty good in the hand railing, and the fire department was taking their sweet old time responding."

Law remembered that day. Rosinante had tripped on his way down the stairs, and his head and shoulder popped through a slender space of the stairway railing. The freak accident had kept them both at the station for several hours. Rosinante attempted to talk to anybody unfortunate enough to pass him by. Sign language wasn't universal, so, in a foul mood, Law had to do a lot of translating and bullshitting for the man just to keep him entertained.

"Oh," was all he said, scratching his goatee. "Yes, well…yes. That happened. But that doesn't explain anything."

"I know this entire area. I helped him move you out of there. I made a deal with Sheriff Smoker to keep any correspondence from you so you didn't return. Rosinante wanted you hidden until he was able to get Doffy in the right position to fall. That man tried, trust me, he searched for you high and low. But thanks to us, you unappreciative brat, you escaped that psycho's clutches all these years. A little 'thanks' would be nice."

"But why? What's in it for you?"

"I get pardoned," Shanks said, grinning. "For all my sins. And a little cut of the deal Rosinante made with the Marines. I have my own dreams, and to obtain them, I need a little cash to get through."

"You're welcome, then."

"I said, I need a ' _thank you!_ '" Shanks yelled impatiently. He huffed, and then straightened his jacket, the fringe swinging lightly at his arms. "I knew your father, too. He was a brilliant man. It was unfortunate that your family passed. Listen, I just want to say – "

He trailed off as Law remembered what Rosinante had sent him and quickly left the cabin. Shanks stood there for a few moments, then growled. "I take it back! You're still a selfish brat!"

"And this is Law! Forget about learning his last name, this one's easier to say!" Luffy was telling his girl friends, their friendly faces take him in with curiosity. Nami looked for any signs of wealth, found none, and wasn't interested. Robin gave him a friendly smile and an outstretched gloved hand.

Law waved it away with impatience. "Where's Tony?"

"He's a little rude, but you'll get used to it," Luffy assured them, with nervous laughter, then turned and growled, "Don't act like that around my friends, you little shit!"

" _Who are you calling_ ' _little'_? And I don't give a fuck about your damn friends, I'm not going to see them for very long, anyway!"

"What? Why you - ! I'm going to bust you up, but gently, because we still need you for tomorrow!" Luffy snapped, fist up and waving threateningly.

"Try it, and I'll stomp your damn mouth into the dirt!"

Luffy wrapped himself around his leg with a growl, biting him. Law yanked and tried kicking him off, but the teen held on tightly until Nami whapped him across the head and dragged him off by his hair.

"We need all we can get, stupid! If this is your stupid friend that you depend on, then stop making them into enemies!" she snarled. "Get up, get your shit, and go unload that goddamn train! You're wasting our time with meaningless conversation, here!"

"Ow, not that hard! I worked hard to grow that!" Luffy complained, rubbing his scalp but giving Law a dirty look and a middle finger. Law drew his thumb over his neck and pointed at him.

"Both of you knock it off! At your age, you should know better than to tease children," Nami then said to Law, finger in his face. "Don't bully our stupid captain! It's bad enough he's as dumb as a rock, he doesn't need to be reminded of it!"

"Ah, ah, he's over here, they're getting ready to unload Penguin," Sanji said hastily, stepping in between them and gesturing at the train. He ushered Law in that direction, then turned to face the others. "Sorry, Nami, everyone's tired, we know what's coming for us. Maybe it's time for us all to hit the hay."

"Just like you to step in when it's too late, Sanji. And stop letting guys bust your stupid face up, all the time!" she yelled, grabbing his cheek and causing him to bend at her mercy. "I don't even remember what you look like, un-hurt!"

" _I'm so sorry_!"

"Don't apologize to me! Luffy! I told you to keep a better eye on him!"

"I tried, Nami, I really did!"

"Nami, calm down, we're aware that you're a little relieved that they're all in one piece," Robin said, smiling at her friend. "But putting your tough love to them isn't helping us."

"I knew I should've went with them! But…he was so rich…and he had so much wealth dripping from his pockets that I couldn't leave him right away, not until his bank account became mine," Nami said, thinking of the man she'd swindled when Luffy and the others separated from her. As Luffy tried crawling away from her, she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him back. "When we get to the fucking ocean, it's time for a vacation! I'm laying on that beach, with or without my goddamn swimsuit! Understand? I _need_ this!"

"But, Nami, we might end up going back east for Tony," Luffy tried to say, then curled into a ball as Nami's face darkened with rage. From the folds of her dress, she withdrew her weapon, fitting all the pieces together until she had a staff longer than her body. Luffy shrieked.

Robin had to step in hastily to keep blood from being shed.

Law left that chaos to itself, and went looking for Tony. The boy was helping the others, so he pulled him aside as the one named Franky lifted Penguin, stretcher and all, over his head and disembarked the train like he was nothing, Brook following after him with some of their luggage. Law had to stare, his mouth dropping open with awe. Then he returned his attention to Tony, who was still wearing his jacket from the night of the hotel fight. It worked out, because Law still wore Vergo's, figuring it'd come in handy, now. "I need to talk to you."

"Is this about my sickness?" Tony asked him cautiously, Sanji catching up to them.

"Yes. See this? This will cure your illness," Law said, withdrawing the tube from an inside jacket pocket. "The only drawback to this is that you will get very sick. That's only because in order for it to leave the body, your body will react to the virus violently. But after it passes, the TB virus will be gone. And you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"Just how sick?" Sanji asked with concern, sitting down with Tony in his lap as Law indicated for him to do so.

"He'll display very strong flu-like symptoms. We would still have to worry, but I'm sure he'll make it." Law uncapped the tube, withdrawing a filled syringe with a very long and thick needle.

Tony gaped at the needle, then looked at Sanji with fear. Sanji hugged him, rubbing his head. "Let's get it over with, okay? You can look over here so you don't have to watch it. Okay? You'll be fine. This is a good thing, Tony. Afterward, you can have all the candy we have."

Tony started to cry anyway, clutching onto Sanji tightly as Law lifted the hem of his shorts up high, then hesitated. There was another set of arms around Tony, then, but when Law looked to see who it was, there was nobody there. He was so startled that he sat back, wondering if he were imagining things. But Robin stood nearby, crouching behind Sanji to hug them both, adding to the extra set of arms around the boy. Zoro crouched next to Sanji and held Tony's hand, patting it absently. Luffy leaned over him and clutched his other hand, and Ussop sat on the other side of Sanji, hugging Tony from the side. Nami reached in and patted his head with a comforting smile, and Tony sniffled until he saw the red licorice being waved near his mouth.

He saw that it was Law giving it to him, so he smiled cheerfully and took it, but Law took that moment of distraction to stab the needle in and inject the contents into the boy's thigh, causing him to scream with bloody murder.

"Yay! You did it! Good job!" Luffy laughed. "You're saved, buddy!"

: :

That night, when everyone had finally settled in various areas of the town, laughter and voices ringing out as they caught up with each other, Law and Sanji retreated to the train for some privacy. They kissed and touched, taking their time with each other, moving from one spot to another with roving hands and mouths, clothes being shed quickly. Law was careful with him, taking his time to show Sanji just much he cared for him, and Sanji took it all with self conscious action, feeling shy for the first time in a long time.

He had to chuckle, though, running his fingers through Law's hair and watching him suck his dick with hungry action. He liked the way Law treated him, but he wasn't sure if he really deserved the tenderness. He forced the other man back up the length of his body, and tasted himself in the other man's mouth. He held him close, aware of the soreness in his own torso, but he didn't want to let go or give up the position. He pushed Law to his back and returned the favor, his friends' laughter audible in the distance. When he knew he was near climax, he gripped his dick hard to prevent it, wiping his lip as he looked him over. Crawling over him, he murmured a few words of pleasure to him in his first language, knowing that he could get away with it if Law had no clue what he was saying. He climbed on top and then settled himself over, looking into his eyes as he slid down the length of his dick.

At that moment, though, Law sat up so that they could look into each other's faces, moving together. Sanji hugged him close, running his hands over his shoulders and arms, feeling his hands creeping over his ass, to assist him with movement. He struggled not to make too much noise, repressing as much of it as he could. He held on tightly and wondered if they'd still feel the same way after this showdown with the Marines.

He had to wonder how many of them were going to walk away tomorrow night, and shifted his hands up to Law's face, feeling desperate to convey all his fears and feelings in a man that might not be around the next day.

"Can I tell you I love you?" he whispered, his expression turning anxious.

"If I can tell you the same," was the answer, and Sanji chuckled, and never really said it, anyway, caught up in the feelings between them. He kissed him deeply and held on tightly and hoped he would have another chance again. He'd say it for sure, and many more times afterward. He promised himself a lot of things, but he had to wonder if even _he_ would be walking away.

The next morning, everyone went to work. There was a building dust cloud in the distance that only meant one thing, and Shanks watched it warily. He exhaled tightly, sunglasses in place. The sun was lifting high, and while it was a little cooler today because of the extra clouds in the east, there was a wind blowing through that promised trouble. The guys were moving about, placing explosives in certain areas of town, and they were discussing escape plans, safety areas they could meet if things were too much.

He felt bad – there was only so much their group could do against the monster coming towards them, and that anxiety that he felt when he heard Luffy's request to assist them came back.

"Something bad will happen," he said to himself. "Are you strong enough to endure it, Luffy?"

He looked them all over individually, and did not miss the way Sanji and Law looked at each other. It made him smile, though, because the man he was looking at now wasn't the same man he'd first seen back east. He knew Rosinante would be happy that he was happy. Luffy was excited and confident that they'd make it, and the others fed off that attitude. Every one of them, save for Ussop and Kidd, were optimistic about the incoming battle, and while Shanks felt it was the wrong one to have, it was one that was to happen. It would finally settle the question of wether or not the bandits had too much power, or the Marines were that weakened by their own corruption.

Corruption in the Marine ranks would be out in the open if the Strawhats won – the Donquixote family would have to respond, if they hadn't already. And if there were any bounty hunters involved with the incoming Marines, based off Cactus Rock standards, then the Strawhats were going to have a definite losing shoot-out.

He smoked his cigarette with a worried expression, and counted out their number. He had to wonder how many of them were going to fall, today.

: :

"That cloud is getting closer," Kidd said anxiously. "Are we doing this, people?"

"We're kicking ass, today!" Luffy declared. He looked at the others, the hot desert wind whipping his shirt around his torso. All of them were dressed for battle, the heat touching them already. "Are we clear on the plans?"

"Let's get this over with, Luffy," Zoro said.

Turning, Luffy pointed and called out names. "Ussop the Great! Law the Psychopath! You're both up on the ridges as snipers! You okay? Come in only when the rest of them have left their point of entry!"

At the confirmation of nods, he continued pointing. "Nami the Mighty Thief, Sanji the Sexy Cook, Franky the Strongman, Zoro the Strongest Swordsman in the World, Luffy the Bandit King, Robin the Wise, and….Shanks. All of us are posted in town! I'll meet the Marines head on for the formal call out!"

"No nickname for me?" Shanks pretended to weep.

"Brook the Amazing Musician! No instrument today, I need you and Shachi the Train Rider – "

"Why does that sound weird?" Shachi cried.

" – to take care of Penguin the Brave and Tony Chopper, the world's most talented first aidsman! Can you guys stay posted on the river until we give you the signal? We need eyes there, too, in case they come in on boat!"

"Aye, aye!"

"Captain Kidd, you got the best job of all! You're handling it all from here! Take as much of their weapons from them as possible before they come in to meet the others posted in town!"

"No one's getting past me!" Kidd vowed.

"Are we ready, people?" Luffy held his fist in. "This time, we know our roles. But what are we doing this for? Mine is for the glory, to see the ocean with all my friends!"

"Mine is to prove to the world that I am the greatest swordsman in the land," Zoro said, fist in.

"Mine is to spread the tale of you crazy kids," Shanks said, fist in.

"Mine is to experience the adventure and share the ballad of the Strawhats to others around the world!" Brook added, fist in.

"Mine is to live a life full of adventure and fun with my friends!" Tony declared, tiptoeing to add his fist in.

"To live!" Robin said, fist in.

"Mine is to make a reputation of myself, and in a good way!" Nami said with a giggle, fist in.

"To see if you guys are actually that strong, and if you are, ask for an alliance and shit," Kidd said, fist in.

"Mine is to come from this a stronger person, with no more fears," Sanji said with a wide smile.

"Mine is to continue to experience the joy and wonders of an improving age!" Franky said, fist in.

"I'm going to help win this for the both of us, Penguin and I!" Shachi said with a wide grin, fist in.

"To kick some ass because I love me some ass," Ace said with a giggle, knowing full well what he was saying, fist in.

Luffy prepared to launch the cheer, but there was another fist added, so his eyes were brilliant with joy as he looked over at Law.

"Mine is to get through this stupid shit and then walk away with the one I adore," Law said steadily, looking at Sanji, who flushed and grinned back at him brilliantly. Zoro rolled his eyes.

Kidd made a puking motion. " _Lame_! That's so lame! I don't know why I was expecting something way cooler than that from you, but you keep disappointing me!"

"What," Nami said, eyes wide.

Robin laughed. "I like that!"

Luffy tossed his fist up to the sky. "Awesome! Let's go, guys! We shall fight our way out of this as one, and walk out of this as one! Good luck, everyone! Sanji promised to cook for all of us afterward!"

"If he's not busy making out with Mr Heart Snatcher!" Kidd said with a disgusted snort.

Law kissed Sanji in front of them, much to their amusement, Tony covering his eyes with a giggle.


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning:** **Deaths** **ahead. Well, it** _ **is**_ **a shootout…(extremely sad face)**

 **Thanks for all your super awesome reviews! I hope you enjoyed the fluff! Now comes the hard part….**

 **Part Fourteen**

Exhaling slow, Law watched from a distance as Luffy faced off with the massive Marine Admiral before him, twenty riders standing behind him in abreast formation, rifles out. The horses snorted and stomped the dirt at their hooves, and the desert heat beat down on them with a warning. He was never so aware of the environment until now, hearing Luffy's childish voice tell off the huge man with a wave of hands and fingers and confident laughter.

Standing there alone with the group didn't make any sense, but the teen was quite confident in his safety and well-being. The Admiral screamed at him, deep voice rumbling through the ghost town, and a horse whinnied from where the wagon trains stood in a row a couple of miles away. The large mob of riders with armed Marines lingered in complete rows, ready to move in, with Marines on foot behind them. With how large and spacious the area was, every sound seemed to bounce off the hills and rocks around them, and, if he strained his ears, he could hear the Skypiea river rumbling in the distance, through the canyon. He kept his finger on the trigger, Bepo waiting nearby, his head down low. He had pushed himself beneath a slight overhang of rocks along the ridge, his back perfectly covered, but Bepo was in the open, munching on some dry twigs and strong smelling sage.

Not daring to take his eyes away from the scene, Law waited for something to happen. But from what he could catch, the Admiral was pissed that Luffy broke a rule, Blackleg broke a rule, they were stranded in the desert for a day, etcetera, etc. It was a long winded ramble and Luffy played it with his simple way of thinking and casual observation to their helplessness.

Law saw movement from the corner of his eye, and saw a group of Marines sneaking around him, moving through some rocks, intending on coming into the town from the back. Luffy told him not to let anyone pass. Hoping that Ussop kept his focus on the stand off below, Law shifted onto his back, then took careful aim, Bepo lifting his head with alarm.

Once he had the right angle, he fired first – four of them went down in a row, while two ducked hastily, scrambling to find him and find cover. Gunshots went off at that point, and he turned around, sighting the scene; Luffy was running through the panicked row of horses, the Marines couldn't shoot because they'd shoot each other, the Admiral was trying to keep everyone in control, and Ussop was picking the panicked riders one by one, so Law found the angle he wanted and fired off a couple of shots. Horses crumbled to the dirt, dumping their startled riders, Luffy hit a few, jumped onto the back of one rider, and forced him to run off towards the town, laughing as the Marine hollered with fright.

The Admiral lifted his fingers to his lips, and the Marines waiting for the signal began moving in. Wagons shifted, leaving only a few behind, and all the riders that had been waiting restlessly kicked their horses into motion, foot soldiers following moments later. Seeing the sheer size in number was incredible – they really needed that many of them to take down a group of bandits. The dust cloud built again, and Law reloaded quickly, firing off shot after careful shot, making sure to take down lines of horses and men.

The ground exploded around him, forcing him to take cover underneath the overhang as the Marines found his position. He could hear them climbing over the ridge to get to him, so he reloaded quickly, and then rolled out from the overhang, shooting the Marine closest to him before rolling to his feet and taking cover behind another set of rocks. The remaining Marine stumbled over some brush in his path, startling Bepo, so the horse reared up and twisted, kicking at the man. Law shot him dead, then returned his attention to the scene below. He could hear Ussop's gunfire, taking riders with sure headshots, rider-less horses caught up in the mob.

He looked towards the town, and saw Luffy kick the Marine off the horse, taking off with the animal with a loud cheer. The Marine tumbled, rolled to his feet, and set up to shoot – but he was blasted backwards as someone shot him from nearby.

The cloud of dust lifted to the sky as the mob ascended towards the town with roars of courage and adrenaline. He reloaded hastily, and continued shooting until some of the foot soldiers posted up on their knees and began shooting in his direction. He had to take cover, then decided to move around to that he could get off the ridge and come up behind the others. He took to Bepo, leading him up and over the top, moving down onto the cow trail the Marines had been taking earlier.

The sounds of the attack blasted throughout the rocky area, echoing and reverberating, mixing with the sounds of Bepo's hooves hitting the hard packed earth. It was a steep decline back down to the ground, but once the horse hit the first layer of sand, he was running without fear in the direction Law directed him to. He hoped the horse was used to the sound of his long rifle discharging so close, lifting the gun and firing off repeatedly at the foot soldiers that were surprised to see him. Some of them lifted their rifles with intended action, but they were too slow – Bepo charged right through him, and Law swung his rifle about, cracking heads and knocking over Marines that were too close. He reloaded quickly as Bepo stomped over men that didn't get away fast enough, and fired off his rifle again, jumping away from the horse to engage in physical combat.

There was enough of the Marines to do so, Bepo quickly changing direction once he realized he was without a rider. Running from the scene as Law used his rifle to fight, too close for any of them to shoot without hitting each other, he waited for his owner to knock men to the ground, the back end of the wave realizing what was happening and running back. Gunfire hit Law, and he turned, letting the jacket catch the impact. He ducked, rolled, and had the rifle firing off in moments, catching a couple of the men running back to assist. He rolled again, propping the gun atop of a prone form, and fired off more shots, taking down a few more. The wave was already moving into town, and there were explosions of sound coming from there, and a bit of anxiety swamped his cool thinking as he reloaded.

 _It'll be fine_ , he told himself, climbing back to his feet, reaching for Bepo as the horse hurried up to him, so he steered the animal towards the wagons, men posted there looking at him with dismay. Lifting his rifle, he began shooting those within range as they scrambled to set up defensive positions.

: :

Seeing that Law was taking care of the back end of the group, Ussop reloaded quickly and picked off as much as the Marines as he could from his angle. They'd made it into town, and there was so much noise happening that Ussop had no idea where everyone had posted to take on their groups of attackers. There were so many Marines that he was shaking as he propped his rifle atop of the rocks he'd taken post to, and though he hit many, he felt he didn't hit enough. There were bodies of Marines lying in the dirt with spreading stains, but there seemed to be so much more moving in.

One of the cabins rocked with a blast so intense that bodies flew, dirt showered the train station platform, and smoke lifted into the air like an arm. Horses without riders scattered, and he saw Nami riding one, whooping as she used her staff to hit and disarm Marines trying to recover from the blast. Her dress fluttered in the hot wind, exposing too much of her legs, but the woman handled the animal with confidence and determination, using the horse to run over fleeing Marines. He helped her by shooting the men that turned to chase her, taking out man by man until she was in the clear. He looked at his ammunition supply, thankful that Kidd had taken it from the police station. He reloaded quickly, and watched her charge back into town, staff swinging.

The horse she rode suddenly buckled to the dirt, throwing her. Ussop stood hastily, screaming her name, watching a group of Marines swarm her. Ussop shot with rapid action, taking out the men one by one. Once she was free, Nami turned and gave him a thumbs up before disappearing around the corner of a half burned building. Ussop reloaded quickly, sweating hard, and continued picking off men that were now aware of his position. Seeing that he was revealed, he gathered up his bag of ammo, threw the rifle over one shoulder, and ran over his section of the ridge, hidden from view from the town. He ran down to the horses and buckboard that were waiting there, and he figured he should put the gun to use. The Gatling gun that Pica had used was also loaded in the back, and he jumped onto the wagon, snapping the reins with a mighty yell.

: :

Zoro slashed and cut, moving through the wave with ease. Limbs flew, blood spattered, and bullets were swiped in half. He was entirely focused on the mob that moved through the ghost town, realizing that shooting at the bandits was just as bad as the bandits were hitting them. The Marines were in such a tight space that they ended up hitting each other, and Zoro used that against them, moving in close and slashing out wide, and when horses were used as battering rams, he dismembered them to get to their riders.

He could see Sanji nearby, taking out his section with his kicks and spinning moves, Marines falling with dramatic flair. Sanji would snatch their weapons and fire them off, then resume kicking again once he was out of ammo.

Both of them were splattered with blood, but Zoro was fairly confident that none of it was their own. He lunged and swiped, taking down a horse before Sanji shot its rider once the rider turned to shoot back at Zoro. Zoro side stepped and slashed, taking off the heads of two Marines that had prepared themselves to grab Sanji, and both men moved through the group steadily, not faltering, even as another wave crammed themselves over the bodies of those that had fallen before them.

In a street over, Robin moved hastily, avoiding Franky's fists and tosses, using her witchcraft to misguide the men into seeing things that weren't there. She would lash out with a heeled boot, move effortlessly through lunges and duck under gunshots, calmly taking fallen men's rifles and blasting them when she had to. Across from them, Shanks used an impressive blade of his own to cut his way through the swarm, moving quite easily with just one arm. He looked cool doing it – his sunglasses didn't move at all. She smiled in his direction, and he tipped his hat in hers, and they continued to follow the strongman as he punched through bones and bent rifles within one hand, laughing and commenting on his prowess with ease.

In the street away from them, Luffy and Ace fought hand to hand, ducking and moving to avoid gunfire, hauling bodies around as if they were rag dolls. After a slashing kick that sent a Marine rolling, Luffy shielded his eyes and watched as more riders approached, maneuvering through the town, riding over fallen bodies. He saw that Ace was doing fine, and ran towards the riders, leaping upward with his fist back. He hit the first horse just to knock its head out of the way before following through with his other fist into the rider's mid section. The Marine flew back, the horse screeched and veered into another, where the chain reaction caused Marines to panic, trying to control their animals. Luffy moved quickly to jump up, and whirl, kicking another rider off his horse and then catch onto another, swinging his legs around the horse's head and kick off its rider.

The group faltered, and Luffy pulled out his six shooters, laughing as he fired them into the air, the horses spooked just enough to dump their riders or shoot off into another direction. Once that happened, Luffy put his guns away and began punching and kicking his way back to Ace, the addition of opponents causing Ace to curse at him.

Kidd's magnetic abilities were working just fine – he'd take the bullets that were fired at him, and repel them just as quickly, moving through his swarm with ease. As bodies dropped, he punched out and flung other fighters away, the energy in his gloves and collar whirling with power. He was able to catch his breath, sweating heavily, hand to shield his eyes as he looked off in the distance. He saw that they hadn't even cleared out _half_ of the mob still coming their way.

" _Fuck_!" he bellowed, repelling the metal he'd caught, dropping more of the Marines around him, most of whom didn't know how to approach him. Kidd caught some rifles, then upped the energy to attract. When his arms hung and he could barely keep his arms aloft, he began swinging. The addition of metal added to his punching force, and he dropped men that way as he walked steadily away from the train station.

"There's still more coming!" he bellowed towards the town, catching sight of Franky holding three men above his head, hurling them into a pack that were gaping at his strength. Robin finished them off with a roll and a blast of a stolen weapon, while Shanks cut the heads of two and stabbed another.

"Head forward!" Shanks called to him before whirling away to block a downward swing of another man with an empty rifle.

Nami swept through them, hitting and swinging her staff, atop of another stolen horse. She took out a few of the Marines that intended on running away, pausing to have the horse stomp on them. The animal whinnied and reared, almost in protest as she looked in Kidd's direction.

"Is that a little bitch I hear?" she asked, laughing as she kicked the horse forward. Kidd enjoyed the sight of her abundant chest bouncing before he remembered where he was, and realized what she'd said.

" _Hey_!" Kidd exclaimed, insulted as he repelled all the weight he'd gathered. Marines and horses screamed as they were struck, bodies falling. "No woman should talk to me like that! I don't give a shit if they are hot!"

He caught sight of Ussop with the loaded buckboard, and it was Robin that hopped into the back, Ussop sweating heavily and looking around nervously. As she passed the Gatling gun to Franky, along with the ammo belt, Ussop announced anxiously, "Law's coming in from the back, and the next two waves are coming in! We didn't even hit the foot soldiers, yet! What are we going to do?"

"Shoot them," Robin said calmly. "That way, and hurry! We can come around them and push them into town from behind."

"This is fucking super!" Franky cried, holding the Gatling gun with ease. "Look at me, Shanks! Don't I look a sight?"

"Just like a majestic warrior from a fairy tale!" Shanks replied with a wide grin. "So _cool_!"

Ussop snapped the reins, and the pair of them tore through what remained of the street, intending on circling around the town to come up from behind of the Marines that were still coming in.

Meanwhile, Luffy caught his breath, looking at his brother with glee. "Isn't this great? Look how many we took out!"

"Fuck, this is crazy!" Ace exclaimed, looking behind him to view the fallen bodies. Men groaned here and there, no doubt his brother's work, and injured horses stumbled without direction through the mess.

"Luffy, we're still not done," Luffy heard Zoro say nearby, the swordsman emerging from an alleyway, covered in blood.

Luffy screamed at the sight of him. "You look scary!"

"It's not mine!"

"You look fucking bad ass, bro," Ace told him, thumbs up. "And that is why you should go forward and meet the next wave. Intimidate them!"

"I can't fight next to Kidd," Zoro said impatiently, as Sanji caught up to them, catching his breath. He looked at the man as he bent at the knees, one hand around his ribs. "That's what you get for being weak, and letting a guy like that do that to you."

"Shut up, jerk!" Sanji snapped at him, straightening up. "Not all of us use the butter knives you do to fight!"

"Look at all the guys I killed, compared to your little row."

"That's not impressive. I've got just as much guys as you, and I don't need _three_ weapons to do it with," Sanji said haughtily, tossing his hair.

Zoro kicked him, so Sanji kicked him back, Luffy yelling at them with impatience. He pointed at the incoming wave of new riders.

"Let's do this! We're kicking ass!" Luffy yelled, fist in palm. "Forward, men!"

" _And_ women, brat!" Nami said, appearing suddenly, her horse nearly knocking Ace over as she coaxed it from the alleyway.

"Forward, men! And Nami!" Luffy amended, racing after her as she encouraged the horse to run forward, leading the pack

Ace's eyes nearly bugged out at the sight of her heaving chest, whistling with appreciation. Sanji saw this, and forgot about his fear, reaching out and covering Ace's eyes with a curl of his arm.

" _You_ don't get to look at her like that, scum!"

" _How could I not_?" Ace protested, easily throwing him off. "She's practically not wearing anything! She's a huge distraction, I could die out here because I'm too busy oogling her!"

Zoro started jogging to keep up with the pair, gunshots ringing out, Luffy laughing suddenly. He hit Sanji with the flat of his blade to catch his attention. "What do you care, anyway, wimp? It's fucking obvious you're not into fat sacks, anyway! It's like two sticks rubbing on each other. Hah, and what the fuck is up with that romantic shit? _Fake_."

"Oh, ho ho ho, Zoro, you forget what I can do! I should remind you after this!" Sanji said, jumping onto his back and squeezing him with both arms and legs while Ace rolled his eyes and ran ahead of them. "You forget how hot I find you after a fight, all sweaty and manly and smelling like victory! You should let me kiss you, for good luck!"

" _Ugh_ , get _off_ me, you leech!" Zoro yelled, raising up his swords once the riders began moving their way. Sanji laughed, but crawled atop of his shoulders, steadying himself for a moment while Zoro prepared to strike. Once he felt the man start to lunge, he himself twisted up and off him, kicking out in mid-air, knocking a rider off his horse, somersaulting off the moving animal and kicking out once more, repeating the movement until he had to disembark onto a cabin porch.

Zoro growled and tried not to be too impressed, slashing and swiping as much as he could. But he had to admit, that man motived him to be a little better than what he was. He didn't want Sanji having all the bragging rights after this battle, and so, with a little more focus, he was determined to leave more body parts behind him.

: :

All it took was a lined up shot to the wagon train's left wheel hitch, and both tilted with their weight shifting to the side. Marines scrambled out from them, getting entangled with each other and their vehicles. Bepo was breathing hard, but the horse seemed just as determined as he was to get to the others. There were fallen bodies all around him, and he reloaded, finding that he was steadily losing his supply. Quickly, he supported the barrel with one arm, holding onto the horse with his legs, and fired off another that took of the other wagon trains' right wheel hitch. The precision shot took out the connecting metal and wood, straight down the line, and hit the dirt just inches away, telling Law that the bullet had some trouble with the metal support of the wheel's axle.

The Marines hiding inside of the wagon puzzled him with their somewhat cowardly actions – he thought they'd be a little more eager to join the fight, but instead of lining themselves up to start shooting at a single man on a horse, they were scrambling to either run from the scene or bunching up around the remaining wagon train, trying to climb inside with the others. The covered wagon rustled with movement, and Law wondered if he should take to shooting them or leave them, considering their fear.

He reloaded and sat back in the saddle, looking back towards the town. That single building was still smoking, and the foot soldiers had yet to even reach its limits. He steered Bepo towards some fallen Marines, and then leapt off the horse once he neared them. Snatching up some of the fallen rifles from still bodies, he jumped back onto the horse and returned to riding around the single wagon, men looking at him fearfully from inside.

Setting the rifles on his lap, he shook his head, shoving his own long rifle into its holster behind him, and then grabbing up one, aiming for the wagon.

"Like fish in a barrel, idiots! Weaklings don't choose their way of death!" he shouted, as most of them started shouting for mercy, clamoring over each other in an effort to try and escape. With a low chuckle, he began emptying the rifles he had into the wagon, Bepo running in a single circle, breathing heavily. Suddenly, one wagon burst into flames, shooting out bodies, canvas pieces, and rounds were fired in random direction.

 _Ah, that's why_! he thought, ducking and pulling Bepo into a run away from the explosion. Those left behind were supposed to be guarding their fuel and ammunition supply, and once that wagon went off, the other two exploded with the same sort of cacophony as the first. Satisfied with his actions, Law threw the used rifles off his lap and then steered Bepo towards the town, figuring that was enough.

He reloaded his long rifle, noting that he was nearly out of its ammo. After that, he wasn't sure when he'd ever get a chance to find more of that particular stock again. An explosion caused the sky to darken, flames licking to the sky. Bodies and dirt flew, and he could see the train station falling in a cloud of smoke and dust. Marines scrambled away from that area in a slow turnaround, no doubt tripping and colliding with each other in the effort. Another building closest to the platform blew, scattering more body parts, black smoke curling up into the air. He was too far away to see exactly what was happening, but the wave of Marine uniforms assured him that they were on the run from that area.

He pressed Kikoku's slender barrel to his forehead. "Only for the lives that matter most," he told the gun. Then he locked the trigger, and pushed Bepo to run faster so he could catch up. The foot soldiers had finally swamped the town, and a fire was eating up the buildings from within. While gunshots were heard, they weren't as grand as before, and there were screams coming from the center of it. Anxiety made his whole body tight, and his teeth to grit.

: :

Shachi, Brook and Tony watched the smoke and dust build above the ridge of the canyon walls. They'd come down a cow trail, narrow and winding, from the top and set themselves on the sandbar that provided them with enough room to be comfortable, yet hidden from above if anybody looked over. Penguin was lying at their feet, his skin sweating, and Shachi had fretted over him uselessly just to keep his hands busy. The sounds were muffled from where they were standing, the river rushing heavily behind them. It was muddied, carrying large pieces of debris, the result of the storms. It moved through the canyon like a mad animal, the rushing sounds making it difficult for them to hear anything else.

"I hope to God it's going all right with them," Shachi murmured, looking back at his friend with concern.

"They're _fine_ ," Tony assured him, but he was sweaty, pale and shaking, and Brook was concerned. "They always are. They're good fighters, all of them! All of them together combined are unbeatable!"

"But for how long? There's so many! If they're setting off the explosives now, then -!"

" _They're fine_ ," Brook said firmly, standing tall. "They're fine, they're just doing what it takes to lessen the numbers. All we have to do is wait for Ussop. It'll be over, soon. Then Law can look you over again, Tony. How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," Tony confessed, wiping his forehead. "I feel cold."

"It'll only get worse," Shachi told Brook with concern. "It's a bad flu. That's the hard part. You just have to ride it out, buddy. After that, you're free of that virus. You don't have to be afraid to cough, anymore."

"Here, Law's jacket," Brook said, crouching to pick up the material from Penguin's prone form. "Wear this."

Tony put it on, and Brook helped him adjust the material so that the sleeves were rolled up, and the back end was folded into a knot closer to his thighs so he wouldn't trip. As Brook fixed it, Tony felt the pockets, looking for candy. He found a pack of Sanji's cigarettes, a yellowed newspaper photo and some hard candy in the inside jacket pocket. He hummed with satisfaction as he unrolled the wrapper and looked at the newspaper clipping. It was of a man that towered over the one he knew, for he made the men around him look small – wearing formal clothing and a serious frown, with clownish makeup and a hat that looked like it had hearts dangling over the ear lapels.

"Look! Law likes clowns!" he said, showing Brook. Shachi looked over, and chuckled.

"That's Rosinante. I _knew_ all that anger was all for show," he said, taking the clipping from Tony, looking at it affectionately. "That's the man who raised him. That's my boss."

He traced the edges of the paper, noting that it had been deliberately ripped, taking out the other man that had been standing next to him. He sighed heavily. "I wonder what Doffy did to make him so angry? Rosinante never spoke about his older brother in a bad fashion, but there was always something there that made him…a little braver when it came to Law. He openly defied him, and Doffy always let it go because…he loves his brother. It's a complicated thing. The Donquixote brothers came from a tale of tragedy, and I would've had more sympathy if Doffy weren't such a crazy son of a bitch. He's going to get what's coming to him, I assure you."

"Maybe, after this chaos is over, Luffy will want to return the favor to Law," Brook said.

Shachi shook his head, and handed the clipping back to Tony, who put it back carefully, crunching down on the candy he'd found. "No. He wouldn't let him. For Rosinante's safety, no doubt. And Doffy will keep looking for him, but…I seriously worry for my employer's life."

"Then you don't know Luffy very well. Once his mind's set, it's set!" Brook said cheerfully.

"It won't be as easy as this," Shachi said. "They may beat a thousand Marines, today, but one Doffy is more powerful than that."

"You lot fear him that greatly?"

"You think he controls men by word and power, only? He's like that woman you have that uses illusions – _somehow_ – he's got something more. I don't know if it's because of the medical experiments they do, but…he doesn't always have to touch men to kill them."

Another explosion took to the air, and the three of them looked once more in the direction of the column that lifted up towards the sky.

Suddenly, Brook had a very bad feeling.

: :

It happened too quickly. They separated because there were more Marines pouring in, and there were no more horses that could get in the way. Some of the bandits had made their way into various buildings, seeking cover. Maybe that was their first mistake, because the rickety stairways gave way underneath too much weight, and with the typical style of gold rush towns, it wasn't built so sturdy. Porches collapsed as Marines climbed onto them, all of them determined to take down the Strawhats. The bandits went from building to cabin, only to have one collapse, for another to be abandoned in their haste to put space between them and the Marines.

Ussop and Robin used the fifty cal to clear out the Marines piling towards Kidd at the train station, careful to avoid his reaching range. Kidd was fighting hard, but he was growing tired. He was carrying too much weight, it was too hot, and the Marines just seemed to keep pouring in. When the pair helped, it gave him some relief, but he had to pull back into town. As he did so, he gave the signal to Ace, who managed to blow the place from his position near what used to be a gunsmith cabin. Once the flame was lit, enough of the Marines had realized where it was headed to, and scrambled to get out of range; but the building blew with such force that Kidd was flung into the street. Cabins around it collapsed without a fight, and Marines flew. As debris shot through the air, smoke curling towards the sky, Kidd popped back to his feet and struggled to put some distance between him and the Marines that pushed through the bodies of their fellows and the destruction of the houses around him.

And that's when one glove started to fail, and he was hit in the side, causing him to stumble backwards, his single glove and collar working overtime to make up for the left's failure.

" _Fuck_!" he cried out as pain shot through him. As the Marines saw him fall, they focused their intensity on him, firing from various safe positions as the fire began to rage. Kidd covered himself with his one hand, touching the bloody wounds on his left side. He stood and repelled the metal he'd caught, taking out a good number of men that started to swamp him.

Franky was there to provide assistance, picking up a man and swinging his body like a bat, taking out more. The Gatling gun had been abandoned, all ammo belts used, and he'd thrown it to the side because it required too much energy to hold and sweep about like a weapon. Heat and smoke from the burning building swept towards them on the desert wind, and suddenly the fire caught onto the collapsed wood of the cabins around it. Those started to burn, the heat building up in their section of the town. The Marines had to either go forward to meet the men, or attempt to run through the flames to get away – only a few turned to chance the flames.

Kidd attracted and repelled as much of the ammo fired, and was disheartened to see the right glove start to lose power. "We gotta pull back, man!" he shouted at Franky. "I'm losing power!"

Franky sent a row of men flying, and used another body to swing and hit. The sound of bodies colliding with sickening force made Kidd wince, but both of them began to slowly retreat back towards the others.

Zoro was slicing through a group of foot soldiers when he heard the scream. He looked over and saw Nami pulled from her horse, the woman struggling her hardest to keep her staff swinging. He turned to assist when a bullet slammed through his right arm, and he stumbled. Sanji was there to cover for him, to give him time to recover, but as Zoro made his way to Nami, his arm drooped, and that allowed another Marine to bring his gun up to hit him from the ground.

With a frustrated curse, Zoro beheaded him with his other arm, and starting slicing through many more bodies, regardless of their position, just to get to Nami. The woman was thrown to the ground and piled upon, her staff taken away. Zoro jumped and lunged, managing to slice through at least three of the men, and yanked her to her feet. She ducked so he could dispatch of the others, and Sanji was there to keep Zoro's back covered, picking up dropped weapons and firing them off as another surge shot between buildings. The three of them pushed their way into a two-story shed that only had one set of stairs with a few missing in the middle, and a single platform near the only window up top.

"I'm so sorry!" Nami apologized to Zoro, ripping folds of her dress to quickly bandage his arms. Sanji shut the door behind them, and Zoro looked around them with frustration, seeing that they didn't have much space to fight. Marines broke through the windows and began to climb in, so Sanji headed over and started fighting off one row, Zoro clenching Wado hard within his teeth and leaping forward with mounted aggression to kill the others coming through another window.

Weaponless, Nami looked for something to use to fight with, and ran to the small section of metal supplies laid out in what looked to be a kitchen. She picked up a skillet, and ran to the other window, throwing all her weight and effort into hard swings that caught most of the Marines off guard.

From the single window up top, something small and fiery crashed through the panes and landed near Sanji. Sanji tripped over it, hearing cracking glass and smelling alcohol for a brief moment. The alcohol caught flames, and suddenly caught onto the wall, spreading with horrifying speed, as the wood was dry and cracked itself. The Marines that had been scrambling to get in were now trying to get out, and the heat ate up the oxygen with such strength that the entire wall was engulfed within minutes. Sanji pointed at the window Nami had cleared, and the three of them clamored out of the burning building by inches. Once outside, the saw that Luffy, Ace, Kidd and Franky were getting overwhelmed.

With a growl, Zoro shot forward with renewed speed and strength as the fire began to spread.

Sanji pushed Nami towards the back end of town. "Get on with Ussop and Robin! Safely!"

"What about you guys?" she cried, running in that direction.

"We'll be fine!" he shouted after her, turning and kicking once he realized how many Marines were closing in on them.

" _Spread apart_!" Luffy shouted over the clamor, catching sight of the fire. "ACE!"

"I didn't do that!"

"They did!" Zoro snarled, reacting with anxiety as his swords started to slow as they cut through various bodies. "Damn! There's too many of them!"

"Don't say that! We can do this! Spread apart!" Luffy commanded, throwing punches and headbutts, making his way towards the other end of the street. There were more Marines pouring in from that direction, and with a low growl, he shifted through the alleyway and began fighting them as well. Kidd followed, watching with dismay as his other glove failed, and so he withdrew the two hand guns he had stored on his belt, and began shooting.

"I'm out!" he shouted, "My power's done for!"

"Keep fighting! Start making your way out of town!" Ace hollered at them, holding onto one man and kicking into another. He looked towards the point of the fire, startled to seeing how quickly the flames were spreading.

"DUCK!" Ussop screamed, Robin finished reloading, and then held in both hand triggers, watching as her friends all ducked out of range, Marines falling as the fifty cal spit bullets through the crowd. The wave began to slow down, bodies causing others fleeing to trip, and that gave the others enough time to get away from each other.

Ussop turned to snap the reins when he heard Robin give a strange sound, so he looked back and watched her fall from the wagon without any way to support herself. "Robin!" he screamed, jumping off the wagon and dropping to her. He picked her up to help her into the wagon and realized he couldn't find all the pieces to her head. So he gathered as much of the bloody clumps around her until he was certain he had it all, and tossed her into the wagon.

Climbing up to the seat, he snapped the reins, but one of the horses fell with an anguished squeal, and the other started to run, causing the wagon to jackknife. They crashed to the dirt as gunfire sprayed over the wood, the wounded horse screaming as it was trampled by the other in its haste to get away. The single horse pulled the fallen wagon and horse as much as it could go, panicking as gunfire surged around them.

Ussop grabbed Robin and made to run with her when Ace collapsed next to him, yanked the woman away from him and pushed him to run.

"We can't just leave her!" Ussop screamed at him, attempting to go back. "We can fix her! We can fix her!"

"She's dead, Ussop! Go! Run! Get out of here!" Ace yelled, pulling him back by his hair and pushing him.

Several Marines ran up, one of them shooting the other horse, and the others setting up to fire at them. Ace shoved Ussop into a nearby cabin, hearing the crackling noises of the fire eating up the buildings around them. Gunfire slammed through the thin wood, and he pushed Ussop towards the back window. Both of them were quick to tumble outward, managing to escape their pursuers for a minute.

Looking to his side, he saw Zoro defending Nami again, the woman howling bloody murder for her friend. Franky was moving their way, roaring with a couple of men in both hands, but then he fell as well, bullets eating up and over his body so that Zoro had to abandon fighting, snatch Nami, and run with her away from the incoming wave of foot soldiers.

Ussop released a strangled cry as they ran past Franky's unmoving form, and Ace was shoving him to move. Luffy was there, screaming as he threw himself into the crowd, determined to kill them all. Ace abandoned Ussop at that point and ran back for his brother. In horror, Ussop watched as the Marines swamped them both, unable to shoot at that moment. He lifted to his feet and pulled out his hand guns, and began shooting in that direction, taking out as many as he could. When he ran out of ammunition, he withdrew his Winchester and raced forward, finding head shots.

Zoro was back, and as he sliced through several of them, one of his swords were slow to remove from the body of one. As he struggled to finish the strike, two of the Marines jumped on him from behind. With a roar, he finished cutting through the man, whirled, and stabbed backwards. Only as the points shifted through their bodies, he hit himself as well, causing him to stumble on the weight of their forms. Three more Marines surged in on him at that moment, and Ussop reloaded hastily, screaming for help.

Sanji flung himself into the fray, jerking and throwing the men off Zoro before twisting into his cartwheels and spins on those around Ace and Luffy. Zoro stumbled a bit, trying to catch his breath, but some of the blood he wore was his, and he was losing strength to keep himself up.

Ussop ran towards the fray, shooting repeatedly, struggling to see through the panic blurring his vision when one of the Marines attacked him from the side, tackling him to the street and causing him to drop his gun. The man began punching down on him, and Ussop fought back, but he wasn't much of a fighter.

Sanji was back, throwing a knee into the man's face and shoving him off, grabbing Ussop's Winchester and killing the man with a single shot. He then returned to the group, using his hands to pull and punch at the men that were surrounding Ace and Luffy, Zoro stumbling in to aid him.

Kidd burst out from around a building corner, breathing heavily as a few Marines hung from him. Another set were using their empty weapons to hit at him, and he fell, several other foot soldiers racing in to over power him. Gunshots rang out from somewhere, but he couldn't tell where in the chaos.

Luffy screamed so loudly that it caused Zoro to push himself forward, slicing through throats and stabbing forward until he could find the teen. The Marines swamped over him like a living blanket and Luffy still screamed from the center of it. Sanji frantically began pulling hair and heads and kicked without aim, just trying to get to him. But he was overwhelmed as well, men piling on him with renewed roars, and by the time he was able to reach out and touch Luffy's shoulder, the Marines were yanking him back, him and Zoro restrained by several men each.

Luffy wasn't fighting anymore. He was holding his brother in both arms, Ace unmoving as the Marines surrounded them with their guns drawn.

From the shadows, Shanks watched sadly.

: :

"It's getting quiet," Shachi observed. "And that smoke's growing. I should go check and make sure they're okay."

"Let's go! I'm sure they're winding down! They'll be here shortly, and we can move on, again," Tony said, racing ahead of them, much to Brook's panic.

Before Tony could reach the end of the trail, several Marines stormed over it, guns drawn. Tony shrieked with dismay, turning to race back. One of the men grabbed him, and Brook had his gun out and fired several times in succession, Shachi withdrawing his own and hitting his own targets. Tony was dropped, but there were more Marines coming in, and he screamed as Brook fell, no longer moving. The group nearly trampled him as they headed down to Shachi and Penguin, and he himself was picked up by a Marine that was sweating heavily, smelling of smoke.

"Kill them both! We don't need them!" the Marine shouted, before turning away with Tony under one arm. Tony screamed with shock and horror, kicking his feet, unable to look away from the tall man that stared sightlessly up at the sky.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part Fifteen**

The Strawhats had been overwhelmed. The flames consumed the town like a raging animal, sending black smoke into the sky, covering the sun. There were bodies _everywhere_ , horses running without their riders. It had happened so fast.

The Admiral was bellowing out orders for the Marines to escort their captured enemies away from the ruins. There was still too many of them. Law couldn't take them all on himself. Luffy was wailing, a sad, bone-chilling scream that could only mean one thing, and as he counted heads – one blonde one included – he was upset to see how their number had dropped. He knew it wasn't fated to end well, but it had seemed that they'd had a chance.

He looked off to the side, and saw a Marine with Tony under one arm racing from the canyon, trying to draw the others' attention to point him out. He was already out in the open, Law figured. There was no way to hide himself from the others at this point, and there was the very real fear that the Marines were just going to line the Strawhats up and shoot them dead on the spot.

As the Marines caught sight of him, breaking apart from their rows to meet him halfway, he leaned in to his horse's outstretched head, patting his neck.

"I'm so sorry, my friend," he said to the horse, watching the Marines lift their weapons and fire in their direction. He reached back and drew out Kikoku as Bepo stumbled, squealing as he was hit. But the horse continued forward, and Law aimed for the Admiral that turned to look in his direction. He hit the man square through the forehead, and then shot into the crowd of Marines that were lined up to shoot at him.

Bepo kept running, head down, panting tightly. Law shot the man that was holding Tony, then turned his focus on the men holding Zoro. Bepo fell finally, tossing him, but the shot he made freed Zoro. The swordsman took that moment to fight with his hands and feet towards the one holding his swords, and Law covered him, shooting until the Marines fell, and Zoro had his swords. He began slashing once more, freeing up the others, and Law hit the dirt with a painful tumble, his long rifle bouncing out from his hands.

Luffy continued to scream amidst all the gunfire and chaos, and Law spit out dirt, looking back to seeing Bepo lying in an awkward position, clearly dead. He reached out for his rifle, reloading the last of his ammo as gunfire hit the dirt around him.

The Strawhats were fighting desperately this time, and Law lifted his rifle, feeling Vergo's jacket bounce with impact. He fired off two shots that took down two rows of men, and then another when he saw something from the corner of his eye. It was Nami, and she had switched the dead horses out from the buckboard, and was racing in their direction, her face streaming with tears, dirtied with smoke. Everyone's focus was on the men, through, and as Law ran forward, locking the trigger to conserve the last three bullets, she whipped the wagon around, and stood in the back, drawing up the fifty cal.

Marines fell in front of her, and the guys scattered, and the number of the soldiers dropped significantly as she fired without aiming properly.

Law started striking at the Marines closest to him, using his long rifle as a bat, seeking to knock down as many as he could. He picked up a rifle with the other hand, using the jacket to get in close, bullets raining around him. One grazed his ear, another scraped his cheek, and he heard the sharp whistle of another bite over his shoulder. He fired the other rifle, knocking down a couple of men with his own, then turned and fired at two more. He abandoned that rifle, wound up and knocked two men off their feet, picking up another gun and turning to cover his head with one arm, shooting with the other. Four men fell, but there were still a big group to go.

Luffy sat in the midst of it and screamed to the sky, but his voice was getting hoarse, and his crew was getting tired. Ussop flopped to the dirt, shooting as many men as he could, then reached out and snatched up another rifle. Once he made it to his friend, he hugged him tightly, setting himself up to shoot with one arm, the other around Luffy. Nami swept the gun from side to side; Marines fell like toys, while Zoro used his dulled swords to stab instead of slice. Sanji kicked and pushed, but his leg wasn't lifting as high, anymore, and his feet would miss the target, forcing him to work hard to set up a drive. Kidd was punching and shooting, but he was moving heavily, clutching his side.

Law ventured in as close to Luffy as possible, then realized he didn't see Ace anywhere. Tony was racing towards them, looking for comfort and security, screaming with tears, and there were Marines that noticed that. Like a man possessed, he swept up from the ground and began shooting those that lifted their guns to shoot the kid. He flung himself into the fray, pushing, kicking and swinging his rifle around until he could get to Tony. Sweeping him up into his arms, he turned away from the scene, only to see five Marines racing his way, eager to use Tony as his downfall.

Sanji came up behind them and took out two of the men, so Law used his one free arm to swing his rifle about, catching one Marine off guard, the other two sweeping into him. They slammed into him hard, Tony emitting a pained noise as he was caught in between. Law held tightly onto him, rolled, and caught the boot to the face. He reached out to roll over the boy so that he could be protected and took another boot to the face, one Marine jumping on him, the other reloading his gun hastily.

Sanji threw himself over the gun man, both of them rolling, so Law let go of Tony and forced himself backwards to throw the Marine off. He had his knife out and stabbed the man in the throat, down the torso, feeling skin and muscle rip, the blade bouncing off sternum. But the Marine was down, and he returned to pick up Tony, wrapping him in the folds of his jacket as gunfire came their way.

Tony clung to him tightly, screaming in high pitched fear as bullets bounced over the jacket, and they stopped suddenly as other men's shouts echoed around them. Looking back, Law saw Nami reloading the fifty cal, but the barrels were burning brightly, and he knew the weapon had overheated. She kicked the gun with frustration, hopped out from the wagon, and went running into the fray, picking up a rifle on her way in.

Zoro had finished stabbing a few of the Marines, working his way to Luffy and Ussop, but there was a man clinging to his shoulders, stabbing him with a knife. Kidd managed to get up and pull the Marine off, crushing his face with a heel stomp. Together, the two men fought off the Marines that surged in towards them, desperate to control the scene. Sanji abandoned Law and Tony and raced back, and there were still too many Marines left.

Tony was sobbing heavily, and Law couldn't hear a word he said. But he crawled out of the jacket and left it on the boy, picking up his rifle to race towards the fight. He swung and hit as many of the Marines as he could, taking a few hits himself as he was pulled in. Two of the Marines took Kikuko, and the gun blasted mysteriously into four others that were running their way. When the Marine that handled it looked it with surprise, stumbling to put some distance between him and Law just in case, his arms windmilled, and the rifle went off again, blowing his face off before falling onto the dirt. Law retrieved it, locking the trigger just in case, and returned to the battle. Some of the men had managed to bring down Kidd, and Zoro had lost a sword. Gun fire went off, and Marines started to fall, but Law paid no attention to it. He withdrew and stabbed his knife through the skull of one Marine, used the man's body to cover as two more leapt at him, then kicked and punched his way through that.

He managed to come upon Sanji struggling in a choke hold, and killed the man that was holding onto him. Then he kicked out and caught a Marine who intended on rushing them from the side, and stabbed another that thought to pick up a gun. Sanji recovered quickly and raced over to pull a man off Zoro, ducking the man's swords as Zoro steadily moved in towards the center of the fray. Law kept fighting, and Marines kept dropping, and the day steadily moved around them, smoke covering the sun as the town burned.

In the distance, another dust cloud gathered, and he paused, looking over at it anxiously. There were more wagons, more riders, and he knew without a doubt they'd be overwhelmed. He looked over at Tony, still curled up in the jacket, crawling over the bodies in his way to Luffy and Ussop. He looked and saw Luffy unable to cry anymore, the teen leaning over Ussop, who was struggling to hold him and fight off the Marines that attempted to come in close. Zoro was getting slower, throwing himself awkwardly into stabbing actions, but he was clearly going to fall, soon. Kidd was lying in the dirt, unmoving, Sanji covering him, and there were _still_ Marines coming at them.

He picked up a rifle and shot as many as he could, then moved, found another, and it was empty, so he used it to hit, instead.

Nami fought just as valiantly, swinging a rifle like a staff, shooting whenever possible, and she screamed Luffy's name, trying to get him to focus. As all of them closed distance to Luffy, the Marines surrounded them, clearly intending on overwhelming them with their number. All the guns closest to them had been discharged. The battle was going to end in a flat, dusty section of earth, and Law was pretty sure they'd be killed anyway.

It was better than having Doffy do it, and he apologized to Rosinante for wasting his efforts. There were three Marines on him, and his knife was taken away. He jerked to the ground, rolled, caught a man with his boot but another one dropped to sit on him, and the other jumped on him. Sanji tackled them both, and Law was up to help Zoro as a Marine held him in a half nelson. Ussop had abandoned fighting and was just holding onto Luffy, the teen utterly useless for the moment as he grieved for his brother. Nami fell, but before the Marines could touch her, Kidd was there with his huge body, blocking her from their fury. She scrambled away while he took the beating, and Law jumped in to punch the men away while Nami went and assisted Sanji.

And then there was gunfire, and most of the Marines dropped to synchronized shooting, enabling the few standing to stop what they were doing, and start to run from the bandits.

Zoro dropped to his knees, panting heavily, bleeding just as bad. He then went in search of his third sword, and found it, nearly collapsing in the dirt clutching it. Kidd faced the sky, mumbling incoherent nonsense, Nami racing for the wagon she had to abandon as the fifty cal cooled down. Law stood up from the dirt to see Penguin and Shachi shooting the last of the Marines, Shachi supporting his friend, who looked like a walking corpse. Tony leapt into Luffy's arms with a wild cry, Ussop catching them both.

" _Get on_! All of you! Get on!" Nami cried, spying the rising dust cloud in the distance. Ussop urged Tony and Luffy into moving, Shachi carrying his friend the rest of the way to them. Zoro crawled to the buckboard, so Law hastily helped him, Sanji dragging Kidd with all his strength in the same direction. Nami leapt from the wagon and helped him, and as soon as Zoro was in, Law helped the pair with Kidd.

There were Marines riding in close, and Nami nodded, climbing into the seat. She snapped the reins, and the horse moved awkwardly, the weight too heavy. Law glanced around, seeing a few horses lingering in the area, and then looked back to where Bepo was lying in the dirt. He tossed Kikuko in with the wounded, then pushed away from the wagon, shouting, "Go! I'll cover you!"

" _No_! Not by yourself!" Sanji said, letting go of Zoro to jump out of the wagon once he realized how close the other riders were coming. The horse was able to move, and Nami snapped the reins again and pleaded with the animal to _go_. Gunfire caused everyone to duck, and Law was on a horse, finding a rifle to shoot back.

Tony threw the jacket off with a panicked scream for the man to take it, but the wagon was already moving, and Law was riding the horse in the direction of the incoming Marine riders. Sanji found a horse, cursed as he climbed on awkwardly, and maneuvered the animal after the man. He watched the Marines shoot at Law, the man returning fire, and suddenly his horse went down, pinning him to the dirt.

Feeling panicked and desperate, Sanji rode in that direction as the Marines grew closer. There were only a few, but just enough to kill them both. Before the Marine closest to Law could shoot him, he was shot right off his horse. His body hit the ground, his horse running in another direction. The three other riders reared back, another one of them falling, and Sanji was there to help Law out from under the horse, the other man holding his shoulder tightly. But Law climbed on, and took control of the horse, passing him the rifle he couldn't use.

Sanji fired off a couple of shots as yet another rider was sniped from his horse, and as they raced after the wagon, he looked around, wondering who was doing the shooting. He then shifted low, holding onto the animal with his legs, and swept his hand to the ground. He snatched up Vergo's jacket and put it over him, then leaned over to hug Law tightly around the waist, so that they were both covered from the gunfire. Bullets ate the ground around them, hit him in the center of his back, the jacket absorbing the impact. The horse squealed with fright, but they outraced the riders, putting distance between them within minutes.

Sanji looked back, watching the town burn, and with it, the fallen bodies of his friends. He shook violently, tightening his arms around Law's waist and watched the canyon walls swallow them. Nami was leading them to their next point of escape, using a smuggling trail through the canyon that would take them along the river, and to the mountains. She was familiar with the area, she'd claimed, and there were friends that could help them.

Everyone on the wagon looked broken and dirty, and all of them were defeated. Blood dripped from the corners, and Tony cried into Luffy's motionless form, Ussop hugging both tightly. Zoro and Kidd were unconscious, and Shachi was weeping over the form of his friend, who clearly lost his life moving as he did.

Sanji couldn't help but cry, too.

: :

By the time Nami had found the small camp, all of whom left their very narrow and hastily made shacks, everyone was exhausted. Night had fallen, and their animals were tired. The horse Law and Sanji were using kept stumbling, and it was all he could do to keep it going.

"You're back! All of you! Quick, everyone, help them!" was the sharp order of a woman, and several people emerged from the shacks. "Nami! Nami, _what's wrong_?"

"We _lost_ , Vivi!" Nami cried, sobbing once her blue-haired friend reached for her. "We've lost so much! They might be tracking us, can you please take the wagon and lead them elsewhere?"

"Of course! John! Take your horse and this wagon and go that way! You two! Take your horse, follow him! Go up to the mountains, lose them there! Quickly!" Vivi cried, three men hustling to follow her order. "All of you! Help the injured, get them inside! Hurry!"

Law felt Sanji slip away from the horse, and he made to follow, but his legs didn't want to work properly. He was physically exhausted, and Sanji just ended up slumping to the ground anyway as his own legs gave out. With a heave of effort, Law slid off the horse and stood on shaking legs for a moment, while the animal shifted with discomfort. It, too, sat suddenly, and he would have tripped over it if he hadn't caught himself. With much effort, as Zoro and Kidd and Penguin's body was unloaded from the wagon, Law helped Sanji to his feet. After a few moments, both of them struggled to support each other.

He was uncertain whether or not they were even going to fit in those tiny shacks, but once he saw the trap door opened up to reveal a stone stairway that would take them underground, he felt relieved. He saw that Vivi was directing her men into taking away their exhausted horse's gear, setting it on a horse that looked similar in color. Seeing that she had perfect control of the situation, he followed after the others, Sanji apologizing for his lack of support.

The stairway was narrow and tight, and Sanji ended up leaning against him, Law supporting his weight as much as possible. Two very large men were holding Kidd, another was carrying Zoro on his back, and another was carrying an unconscious Luffy. Shachi was wobbly under the weight of his friend, but he was determined to carry him, even as tears leaked down his cheeks and his knees shook.

The stairway opened up to a massive cavern, where more people rushed forward with expressions of concern. But it looked as if they were waiting for them –there were tables set up with various supplies, bedding, food, water, and everyone had a role that they launched into, seeking to aid the bandits.

" _Don't leave me_ ," Sanji told Law hastily, and Law could only nod as Sanji clasped his arm tightly and refused to acknowledge any of the men that came up to them, asking if they needed help. Vivi returned, and she caught up to Nami, and held her as Nami cried heavily into her arms. The woman couldn't support her, so she sank to the dirt carefully so Nami could cry it out.

The people wore mining clothes, and their 'homes' were mere shelves in cave walls. It stretched out to seemingly impossible depths and widths, too dark for Law to see just how big of a cavern it was. But it had fresh water running through it, with one section pooling up into a pond that sparkled with nearby fire light. It smelled fresh, despite the presence of bat shit on the rocks nearby, and when he looked up, he couldn't see any sign of the night or ground above. The shadows were that dark.

As Kidd and Zoro were maneuvered onto tables, men in aprons approached them with heavy kits and extra light lamps, ready to offer medical aid. Luffy was taken to a narrow opening to the left, where a woman encouraged Ussop and Tony to follow her. Tony stared around himself with wonder, Ussop wiping his face with one arm. Law could feel Sanji's hand shaking violently in his, and looked down at the man that was clearly in mourning. Law was just relieved to have him there. As the group of men set up lamplights around the two tables that Kidd and Zoro laid upon, he paused in mid step, and fully embraced Sanji to him. He breathed him in, smelling sweat, smoke and blood. But his body was firm, warm and alive, and that was all he was thankful for.

Sanji returned the gesture, but he couldn't find a thing to say. He could only hold onto Law and keep his focus on the other man's boots, knowing that if he lost contact with him, he'd just lose it. Everyone had fallen, and it felt that he had, too, having no strength to hold himself up. With Law leading him, Sanji felt quite relieved that the man was there. He couldn't think for himself, letting his base instincts do all the work for him.

Vivi had led Nami to a 'room' to rest, and was now wrapping an apron around herself, heading for Zoro and Kidd. A stern faced older man gestured at Law to follow him, so he did, but with an anxious look in the direction Luffy and the others had gone.

"Let me look you over for injury," the older man said, indicating for them to take a seat on a natural outcrop of the wall that was used as a seat. The room was curved and rounded, fitted with medical supplies and books upon books that seemed too numerous to count. Law looked at it with appreciation, and four men hurried in with helpful expressions and tool boxes packed with food and water, but Sanji refused to let go of him, refusing to even look up at Crocus. So he sat, and Sanji sat with him. Law gestured at his shoulder, which had finally clotted, the material of his shirt sticking to him.

It took some maneuvering and a few moments before the man was able to remove his shirt sleeve, finding the bullet wound. After reading the situation, the older man sent the others off, and Sanji relaxed slightly.

"Ah," the older man said, sitting before Law on a stool, and flicking on a headlamp so that he could see the wound better. "If it's not bothering you any, he doesn't have to let go."

Law nodded because he didn't know what to say to excuse or explain the other man's clinginess. He couldn't quite think about it, himself.

"My name's Crocus. Bullet holes are my specialty. The good Lord knows I've treated many of them. It's fortunate that Nami was able to bring the lot of you here. That canyon river has been weeping for days since the storms came in, and it's a wonder the roads haven't been washed out, yet."

That was all Crocus said, diverting all his attention to the wound as Law winced and felt bad for everything he'd done in his past with patients that hadn't deserved his lack of empathy. After bandaging up the wound, Crocus looked at him carefully in the eye. Then he packed up all his things and left without saying anything, which made Law feel paranoid.

After a mighty stretch, Law managed to get hold of the water. He drank some, then tried sharing, but the man didn't even want to lift his face from his other shoulder. He patted him absently, unsure of what to say. But even if he had thought of something to say, nothing came to his mouth. He ended up sitting there for a long time, staring at nothing, looking back at everything that had happened. His ears were ringing, and when something fell outside the room, he twitched, expecting more noises to follow. The gunfight hadn't quite left him.

Suddenly, all the lights dimmed, and someone made a hissing sound to have everyone still. Sanji clutched him tightly and didn't move, and that's when Law heard the rumbling above them. Small bits of rock fell and bounced around them, and he cringed at the thought of a cave in. Crocus walked back in at normal action, frowning.

"That's a lot of them, this time," he said. "They can't hear us. Not over that noise. You people really pissed them off, didn't you?"

He refilled the water glass with a full pitcher, and set that side with a sigh. "All of you try and get some sleep. People around these parts think we're just miners, panning for gold in that river. None of them realize that we've got a whole different world down here. You're going to need the rest. Some of your party isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Eat, drink something. Vivi will try and find out what's happening. We're safe, here."

Law nodded, finding it too exhausting to manage a worded reply.

"We're trying to put them down, too. That Strawhat kid is a lost cause. Something mighty fierce must have happened to him. He's not responding to anything, right now. The big one needs immediate surgery and a transfusion. We've got his type here, it should work. The mean one needed to be sedated – he didn't like waking up underground, surrounded by strangers."

Law looked at the doorway, knowing he didn't hear a commotion.

"We saw the movement. The kids will be taken care of. The woman, Nami, she's with Vivi. The other two – he wouldn't part with the body of his friend. We put it away, deeper, into cold earth, so that he may bury it later on. We gave him something to help him sleep. Would you like anything, as well?"

The loss of Penguin, despite seeing him walk earlier, affected Law more than he thought it would. Maybe, after everything that had happened, he just felt weak. His expression dropped with intense sadness, and he wilted slowly. Sanji felt the movement, shifting to look at him, almost as if he were blinking his way from sleep.

When he didn't receive an answer, he gestured at the bedding. "Here. A blanket, pillows. Try and rest."

With that, Crocus walked away. Law didn't think he could sleep. He couldn't imagine closing his eyes right now, not when he could still see the images flashing over his thoughts. He sat there for some time, staring at the floor, twitching when he heard something clatter outside of the room. If he couldn't feel Sanji's breath on his bared chest, he wouldn't have known the man was even there. Both of them were intensely silent and still, and there was no doubt Sanji was going through the same thing. A woman peered in on them cautiously, saw the state they were in, and assisted with laying out the bedding, encouraging them to lay down. Seeing another human being in the room helped snapped Law out of his state, and when he stood, Sanji stood as well, following his movement like a puppet. The woman reached out for Sanji, trying to get him to focus on her.

When he did, he blinked, as if startled she was there in the first place. He spoke normally, apologizing for his appearance as Law stood and removed the rest of his shirt. The woman asked Sanji if he had any injuries he'd like her to look at, but Sanji shook his head, thanked her, and after one last inquiry, she left them.

Sanji managed to kick off his own boots, his hand shaking as he indicated for the other man to hurry up and lay down with him.

Once they were settled, Sanji turned to him and refused to let go. Law tried to lay back and stare up at the darkness above them, but even after they were settled, neither could sleep. The images of the day kept flashing through their thoughts, and when a lone, mournful male sob lifted from the outside, neither of them could tell who it had been.

: :

Sanji's nightmare hit him hard. Law woke up in a panic, reaching for his rifle, then hitting out as he realized there were hands on him. Once he realized it was Sanji hitting him, looking at him with eyes that weren't quite focused, he set to relax. But Sanji was already caught up in the nightmare, in yesterday's events, and he starting punching with snarled words that Law couldn't understand. He had to push the man away to put distance between them, rising to stand with agitated action. Sanji scrambled up to his feet to continue the fight, and both of them struggled to calm themselves. Once Sanji realized he wasn't in that place, anymore, he slumped down to his knees and covered his face, trying to settle his racing heart.

" _I'm sorry_!" he half sobbed.

Law didn't know what to say to calm him, but he did pat his back with comforting action. He felt like he hadn't slept at all. Sanji apologized over and over again, and Law finally understood why Luffy had insisted only they could wake him. Their young voices were different, and touch was difficult to sort out when one could hardly think, trying to escape from a painful memory. But he had to wonder what Zoro had done to earn a place next to Sanji in bed. It was such a dark and selfish thought that he felt angry at himself for it.

Sanji settled against him, hot and sweaty and trembling, and Law could feel his heart slamming against his chest as his breathing slowly returned to normal. He stared up at the darkness of the room while Sanji calmed himself, and then the man was asleep again, like the scene hadn't happened at all.

He was now wide awake. The images flashed over his thoughts once more. He couldn't believe it had happened. Weren't they all just enjoying dinner together, yesterday?

He felt as if they'd wake up soon, and all those crazy scenes were things he'd only dreamt up because he'd drank too much. But the room was hard, small, and the sound of water rushing through the cave reminded him that they weren't at the hotel. He wasn't at home. He could smell the disinfectant the doctor had used on him, and the metallic taste of blood. The loss of his horse hit him, and intense guilt made him cringe, because the horse had died fighting, and he didn't have to at all.

Law saw the others being jostled in the wagon that Nami drove, blood dripping from it. Of course the Marines would find them that way – they could've followed the trail of blood. He couldn't know for sure whether it was Penguin's or the others. He felt his chest clench at the thought of the man dead, now. All that effort he'd put into saving him was for nothing. Penguin had given his life for the others, and he did so without fear or regret. He'd held that gun and had Shachi help him, and whatever had happened between the start of the fight and the end of it, Penguin had been there to help them.

Law felt as if he'd personally lost the man himself. He stared up at the darkness, listening to the sound of gunfire, of Luffy's screams in his memory. They seemed so loud and intense now that it was quiet. He didn't understand why he was feeling so heavily about the situation when he'd given none of them, save for Sanji, too much thought. He thought about how rowdy all of them were together, and it seemed like another reality. He was going to wake up, and be grumpy because Luffy, Ussop and Tony would be causing a lot of noise, Penguin and Shachi would be smothering him with their presence, Brook would have some instrument on his lap, Sanji would be hitting on him, Zoro would be an ass, Kidd a walking complaint, and Ace trying to order them all around. He was going to wake up from this odd nightmare and they were going to repeat yesterday, only it'd end on the note that it should have.

But it wasn't. Because the cave was much too real, Sanji's clinginess was much too unlike him, and there were gunshots still exploding at the edge of his thoughts. Before he knew it, he was shaking, and he looked at his hands in the dim light, watching them. He clenched them together to stop it, then twisted his head to look at Sanji. The other man didn't even look like himself. He looked vulnerable. His hair was smudged grey and dark with dirt, and his facial injuries were prominent. When he'd spoken earlier, it wasn't his voice – it was somebody else that suffered intense fear and loss, and Law realized he didn't even know what to do with another human being, at all.

For some reason, the memory of the night he watched Rosinante cut his tongue out of his own mouth came back. He was still a kid, and Rosinante had locked him in his bedroom the entire time he and Doffy had left the house. Law had thrown a massive tantrum, upset and furious that the man would do such a thing – it took a few years to realize why Rosinante had done so – so when the man had finally returned, he'd laughed off Law's fit and destruction, getting him ready for bed like nothing had happened. It had been such a normal day. But after a bath and Law sitting in his nightclothes with an angry face, Rosinante had a knife in hand and, for the first time, Law found himself frightened of the man.

After a hug and a kiss on the forehead, Rosinante's last spoken words were, "This is how you protect people you love. Words can easily be lies, but _actions_ never lie."

Law remembered watching as Rosinante opened his mouth wide and cut his own tongue out. He had been unable to call for help while the other man choked and swallowed on the blood after. He stumbled out of the room because nobody paid attention to crashing or thudding noises with Rosinante around, and a house servant passing by realized what had happened, screaming for help. Law remembered just sitting there at the edge of the bed, staring at the other man with no movement, and no voice for the next few days. Doffy took over then, and almost killed everybody, thinking someone had attacked his brother. Law still couldn't speak up then, even as he watched Doffy unleash his rage on innocent servants and guards and it took Trebol some fast talking to have him stop. But when Rosinante was expected to survive, it was Doffy that took care of Law until the man could return.

It felt like that, now – being unable to talk or move, still clinging to the memory of the horror before him.

He stared up at the ceiling and wondered what he was thinking when he decided to 'help' Sanji. He couldn't understand how anybody could deal with this shit, when he couldn't even help himself. He felt rotten from the inside out. He felt like a failure. He started to wish that he'd worked harder on Penguin, that, perhaps instead of staying with Vergo and taunting Pica to reveal himself, he should've left with them. Maybe the man had a better chance if he'd received attention right away.

At the same time, Law cursed himself because he'd been trained only to sustain a life, not save it. His background told him he was meant to kill – that was his name. He was the Surgeon of Death; he dealt death, he didn't fight it.

 _What was he doing in the damn desert, thinking he could help anybody_?

Intense sensation hit him suddenly, and he had to cover his face with one shaking hand. He felt _useless_ , he felt he hadn't done enough, he should've insisted on being in town with them, and now look at them – they were lost, and he'd been running around in the desert with Bepo, and everyone was broken and bleeding and he could do _nothing_ for them.

Then he realized he wasn't alone, eyes shifting up to seeing Tony standing there at their heads, still wearing his jacket. His eyes were swollen and face was red, and he was obviously very sick, and all those thoughts crept away from Law at that moment, sitting up hastily to look at the boy.

"Sanji might need these," Tony said, holding out the cigarettes that Law had had in his jacket pocket. Sanji woke at the sound of his voice and immediately was on alert, reaching for him.

He hugged him tightly, Tony falling limp in his arms, and Law reached between them to touch his forehead, to feel the heat coming off the boy.

"He doesn't feel good," Sanji told him, as if he didn't know.

"Ugh, you _stink_ ," Tony complained, pulling his head back. His eyes were glassy and his movement was small, but he stood there with a disgusted expression that made the scene seem normal. "Both of you stink. Sanji, you stink. You smell like ass."

" _You_ do, brat!" Sanji said with a weak chuckle, brushing his curly brown hair from his face, kissing his forehead.

Tony squirmed out of that affection with some embarrassment. "I wanted to go swimming for awhile. Vivi said I could. But everyone else is asleep. Come swimming with me, Sanji."

"No, not yet. Not until we know where we are, okay? Did you eat something? Are you hungry?"

"Ugh, don't talk to me right now, Sanji, your breath stinks. I just wanted to give you your cigarettes," Tony said, pulling away from him. But Sanji stood, putting himself together while Law remained in that crouch, looking up at him. Relieved in that his assistance wasn't needed in any way, Law straightened and watched as Tony ordered Sanji to put on his boots. When they were ready to go, Law made to lay back but Sanji reached for him, clearly not going anywhere without him. For several moments, Law looked at that hand. He felt he could do nothing for that hand, or the man attached to it. Much like his efforts in the desert, where people died.

Sanji waited, then insisted, _"Please."_

It was his expression that told Law he could at least physically be there, because physically, he was still capable of doing things. Everything else, he could not. Sanji helped him to his feet, then reached in, hugging him tightly. Law felt weak at that moment because everything from yesterday had caught up, and though he didn't mean to, Sanji had caught his weight and supported him. Tony looked at them with interest, waiting patiently for them near the door. Sanji kissed his chest and neck, and then his lips, and both of them were careful because both of them were hurt. Sanji's touch was surprisingly gentle and kind, and he whispered a few things that Law didn't understand, but even those were nice. He stroked Law's face and his sides and none of them were anything sexual, just gentle. Then he pulled on his hand and started walking, so Law followed because he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be at the moment.

Then the boy lead the way out of the room, and the cavern was empty, save for the rooms that were visible from the ground. Everyone was still sleeping, and there was only one fire lamp glimmering near the pool, which reflected the flame with just enough strength to light their way. Tony went over to it, and sat at the edge, reaching in to touch the water. It looked shallow where they were standing, but the further they looked, the deeper it grew.

 _I can't swim_ , Law thought pointlessly.

"Sanji taught me how to swim," Tony told him. "He can hold his breath for a really long time, huh, Sanji?"

Sanji nodded, but he was clearly in no state to be the adult Tony needed. _Everyone was broken_. Law felt helpless because if they intended on relying on him, they were going to be disappointed. He realized then how much Brook was needed. He suddenly realized how much he missed Rosinante. Rosinante would know what to do.

Tony stared up at him for a few moments, then looked at Sanji. He sat down hard at the edge of the water, and Law reached out to grab him, but the boy was fine. He stared quietly out at the water with a lost expression, swishing the surface with one hand.

"Sanji, do you have any candy?" he then asked.

"I'm sorry," came a woman's voice, and Law looked to see Vivi standing there, anxiously wringing her apron. She wore men's wear, her blue hair braided and pinned away from her face. She looked at all of them in turn, lingering on his tattoos before she blushed and looked away. "Come, Tony. I've got some sweets. Are you hungry?"

Tony shook his head. He left the rock and went to Sanji, wanting to be held. Vivi furrowed her brow, thinking that the boy was much too big to be treated as a small child, but when Sanji picked him up and held him, she wasn't sure who needed the hug the most. She looked up at Law. "We have food. You guys come with me. I'll show you where we eat."

So Law followed after her, Sanji following close behind him, Tony clinging to his neck. The cave Vivi led them was smaller, cooler, lit with a single lamp, and there was some steaming food on a handmade table, fit for twenty. She gestured at the plates, then waited for them to sit. She pulled out a chair for Tony, but Tony didn't even look up.

She looked at Law because Sanji wasn't even looking up, either, and it appeared that Law was the only one coherent enough to understand what was happening.

"The news came out," she said. "Of the Strawhats. The Marines intended on smearing their name, but it had the opposite effect!"

Law had to wonder just how much time had passed. The darkness of the cave confused him. Maybe they'd been here for days, and were just now stirring. Vivi read the confusion on his face and asked, "Would you like to read it?"

Without waiting for an answer, she hurried off. Law looked at the pair sitting next to him, but neither looked as if they were going to move. So he ate slowly, with a mouth that felt too awkward. He bit his tongue and the inside of his cheek and realized he couldn't do it anymore. He set the fork aside, and realized that Tony was dozing off on Sanji's shoulder. All of them smelled bad. All of them were exhausted. He then stared at the darkness of the ceiling, wondering why he could still hear Luffy screaming.

Vivi came back in, and laid the paper in front of Law. He saw the headline boasting of the Marine's victory over the Strawhats. It surprised him to see all their Wanted pictures – an artist's rendition of Tony at the age he was now, and his own picture, which was one taken when he'd attended college. There was added information to his profile – he was Wanted alive back east, with a very hefty bounty, and he was part of the Donquixote family, so he should be handled with extreme care. Even that nickname was there, but none of his crimes were listed.

 _There it is_ , he thought with a defeated frown. Rosinante's efforts had been for nothing.

Brook, Robin, Ace and Franky's faces looked much different on paper than they did in life. Their smiling faces and smirks were the only thing he truly remembered, not for the crimes that were listed alongside their pictures. He hadn't realized just how attached he'd grown to them until they were violently taken away. He felt that emotion in his chest, where it _hurt_ , and the newspaper shook his hands, so he set it down quickly.

Then he sat back in his chair, reading the rest of the article and realizing that one name was missing. He couldn't even remember when he'd last saw the one armed man. But he remembered the shooter that assisted them. He felt a slow anger start to build from the pit of his stomach. Had Shanks betrayed them? Or aided them? Should he think of it as a positive thing, considering the one armed man's disability?

"The Marines tried to make it sound as if the Strawhats were a pitiful bunch, but look at the number of deaths! Look at these pictures! Clearly, the Strawhats were the victors!" Vivi exclaimed, looking at the article with admiration. Her voice was filled with awe. Law looked at her with incredulous action, feeling his temper rise at the silly worship when it felt all of them had died in that battle.

Vivi continued to speak, her tone light with awe. "There were only _eleven_ of you! Against nearly three hundred of _them_!"

Sanji shifted away from him, still holding Tony in one arm and focusing in on Vivi. He could sense the other man's rising anger and frustration and realized he couldn't stay in the state he was in, anymore. Not when it was apparent Law was at a loss himself with the situation. Sanji realized with a startled look that he hadn't even heard the other man speak in _hours_. He looked at the other man for a few moments, then placed a hand on his uninjured shoulder to let him know he had this, he would speak for them.

He cleared his throat, and looked at Vivi, who looked relieved that he'd come back because the expression on Law's face was frightening her. "There was only 164 counted – "

"There were more posted from the nearby Marine compound, _all_ their numbers. There isn't that many up here, this land is still new to the government, but combined with those that were already on their way up to Baltigo, there was nearly _300_ of them!" she exclaimed. "Yes, you lost some people! But you've gained the respect of those around you! The Marines thought this would make them seem great, but there's already talks around us, of groups that admire the Strawhats' tenacity and will to challenge these bastards head on!"

 _But at what cost?_ Law thought angrily.

"Luffy got what he wanted," Sanji murmured, almost as if reading his mind. "Respect and glory."

"In the end, Luffy gained widely recognized notoriety. He gained followers. Respect is more than power!" Vivi insisted. "If the Marines chose to rise up again against the Strawhats, they wouldn't be alone. You'd have assistance from others, all who'd want that same respect. Trust me, it wasn't all for naught!"

Law couldn't understand that side of the situation. He looked off to the side with a dark expression and tried not to think about Luffy's screams as he mourned his dead brother.

"How are the others?" Sanji then asked.

"They are fine. They're resting. And we will leave, just to maintain our activity so we aren't monitored," she assured him. "If you follow that doorway with the pink marking over it, that's where we bathe. There is a hot springs there, fresh spring water. Please, use it. We have extra clothes. We will take care of you until you are well enough to leave, again. And, you have our support."

"Who are you guys?"

"We're mere miners," she said with a smile before getting up and leaving them alone.

Once they heard her steps fade, Tony started to snore. Sanji leaned against Law's arm when he felt him shift. Intense fear hit him, unable to fathom being in a strange place while they were all so vulnerable. When they'd lost people they'd loved. There was a definite fear he was going to lose this man as well, no matter if it was just him stepping into another room. " _Don't leave me_."

 _It's not just you who ended up alone_ , Law thought, but felt bad for doing so. He had to be exhausted, to let these things slip through his thoughts. After a few moments he rose from the chair, and Sanji followed, trailing after him with Tony still in one arm.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N** **: Can't they just take a break? *wheezes * God, I hate cardio.**

 ** _Thanks for all the reviews, guys! The battle sure was intense, but hopefully you took a breather because there's more ahead._**

 **Part Sixteen**

Sanji watched Tony splash in the pool, ducking his head under the surface and popping up with frantic breaths after. The boy felt better being in the cool water, which aided with his hot skin, but he was noticeably weak, and Sanji watched him carefully, ready to react if Tony looked as if he were in trouble. There was movement behind him, and he knew without looking that it was only the other miners moving about. They were all such an odd crew – some of them were doctors, some former soldiers, some just men and women seeking to get away from the outside. Vivi was clearly the woman in charge of the group, and he didn't know her well enough to understand why.

He reached behind him, touching the messy fluff of black hair as the other man sat there, still saying nothing at all. He scratched his scalp lightly, not looking for a response of any kind, but just to administer some sort of contact. He had no idea what was running through the other man's head at the moment, but it was obvious Law had come away from the situation just as shell shocked as they were.

He immediately scooped Tony up from the water once the boy's arms gave out, not giving him a chance to breathe any of the water in. "That's enough, now. Let's go get you cleaned up and ready for bed."

He winced as Tony threw a fit, the angry scream echoing throughout the entire cavern, startling many people, including himself. Ussop came running out from one of the rooms with a panicked expression, and the miners took up guns with frightened looks.

"He's okay, he's okay!" Sanji called out with an embarrassed expression, as Tony kicked and threw his arms and screamed at him for being 'unfair', uncaring of the situation. He hastily shuffled off to the cave Vivi had pointed out earlier, with chalk markings on the top, and grew flustered as Tony started calling him names. He didn't feel strong enough to deal with Tony's fits, but he knew it was only because the boy had suffered through some trauma. Brook had been the one to calm him most of the time, and the man wasn't even here. He would never be. Sanji felt his eyes sting, and suddenly he paused on the way to the fresh water spring. Tony continued to scream, hit and kick, cursing him, calling him all the names that he'd heard Zoro call him, and Sanji felt utterly inadequate.

But then Tony was pulled from his arms, and Tony quieted then, as Law silently took him. Tony looked at him with wide eyes and a fearful expression, but he undressed and crawled into the spring, and washed his hair while the other man glared at him. Sanji shook himself out of his state and walked over on wobbly knees, and Tony apologized to him, squeezing out the last of his tears with an exhausted expression.

"I miss Brook!" Tony confessed, before he started crying again. "They shot him, Sanji! They shot him and he looked up at the sky, and he didn't even look at us, anymore. He was _always_ looking at us! How can he see us if he was looking up at the sky? He won't know where to find us!"

Sanji hugged him tightly, wishing Tony hadn't seen that. It was bad enough they'd found him trying to survive while his parents laid dead in their shared bed, the boy in such shock that he'd told the bandits that his parents were taking a very long nap and needed a bath because they stunk.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized, trying to keep himself together as Tony cried in his arms. The water felt nice and cool on his skin, and he hunkered down into it. He comforted the boy as best as he could, and was surprised when Nami leaned over the edge of the spring with a small smile. Her nose and eyes were swollen, her face pale. She hadn't slept at all. Her orange hair fell around her shoulders and she wore an outfit similar to Vivi's.

"Normally, people take off their clothes when they take a bath, Sanji, dear. Wash him with this. I don't want him to smell like you dirty bastards," she said, handing Sanji some sweet smelling soap. "I'll send some clothes for the rest of you. When you're done in here, come to the dining room, okay? We all need to be together, right now."

"You should join us, beautiful. We can be together, here," Sanji said to her with a tilt of his head and a wide smile, Tony frowning at him. "Let me wash you. I'll take care of every nook and cranny."

"Tempting, but no. Last time I let you wash me, you got _prematurely_ excited."

" _Lies_. Everyone knows I'm never too early for a party. I'm always the _last_ one to leave."

" _Ugh_ , shut up."

"Sanji, you're bad with women," Tony told him. "Zoro was right, none of them like you – "

Sanji covered his mouth and Nami giggled.

Both of them heard a snort from the older man, and Sanji watched him leave. But he took the soap from Nami and had Tony wash himself with it. Nami remembered that there was a 'thing' between the two men, and blushed slightly, feeling bad for the exchange. It bothered her that Sanji thought nothing of his behavior as wrong. She watched him climb out from the springs with a frown, Tony sitting down and splashing with complaints that the soap smelled too 'girly'.

"Maybe you should tone it down a bit," she then whispered, glancing at Tony. "That wasn't nice."

"Making Tony take a bath? For the first time, Nami, I have to disagree with you."

" _Fool_! Running your mouth off – that guy clearly thinks the world of you, for some odd reason, and you're just – _you_!"

"I told him not to. It's his own fault."

Nami tried not to slap him.

"But I liked the way he talks to me. I like the way he looks at me. And, despite his age, he gives it to me when it's appropriate."

"Candy, Sanji?" Tony asked, overhearing.

"A lot of candy!"

Nami hit him with some embarrassment.

"When it's _appropriate_ ," Sanji then stressed, and Nami noticed that the smile he was using was genuinely fond, and not the usual he used when it came to other men. "I can't imagine being the person I think he wants, because I don't know how to give back what he's giving me. Who'd want something like me, this used-up jerk off who can't even handle being in a room full of men by himself?"

Nami clamped his mouth shut, and gave him a stern, "You know I hate the way you talk about yourself, like that. You need to get over that way of thinking. If that man was willing to ride in our stupid situation, knowing he'd be exposed to the people he was hiding from, or dead because of it, then _you_ need to make the effort, as well! Got it?"

She pulled her collar aside, exposing her chest briefly in an effort to pull something from the frills of her bodice, and withdrew a dog-eared book with a couple of bullet holes in it. She hit him with it. "Read it."

"The Bible?"

"It's not a Bible! Though, Saint Peter and I will be haggling at those gates when I get there, because I have some expectations I want met before he tries to send me down to the Devil," she said. "Read it. Then give it back. It's my favorite one. Then we'll talk about it. You have some catching up to do, since we've been apart. Make sure you read the climax!"

Once Sanji realized it was another one of her smut-filled lovestories, he made a face, but he took it. He then hugged her in case she needed it, but she pushed him off with a face.

"Ugh, take a bath. You _reek_. Come find me when you're done, okay?"

"Sure, sure," Sanji said, sniffing himself and wincing. Tony got soap in his eyes, and he started to cry with quiet, dramatic effort, so Nami patted his shoulder and walked away while Sanji tended to him. An elderly woman came into the cavern with a pile of clothes, which she indicated for him to take. She then left to give them privacy. Once Tony was out and finding clothes that fit him, Sanji undressed and took a quick bath as well. The springs took away all the dirt and grime with it, disappearing through some rocks, and he wished that they were able to take away all the other things with it. He used the soap with relief, and Tony haggled him from the rocks to stop being so girly about it.

Later on, carrying the sleeping boy in his arms, Sanji walked into the dining room where they were earlier, and saw Ussop, Vivi, Nami and Kidd there. The man didn't look well at all, and there was an older man was looking at him fitfully until Vivi indicated in that he could leave. Kidd was sprawled on his side of the table with his arms over the wooden surface, and Sanji hesitated. So he left, much to Vivi's puzzled look, and returned minutes later with a grumpy Law behind him. Vivi hurriedly brought them drinks and small snacks, fluttering around the table with absent action, and Nami spoke up first.

"First off, guys, Luffy, Zoro are down for the count. There's no telling when Luffy will snap out of it. Zoro has so many stab wounds on him that the docs are surprised he isn't dead, yet. He's receiving a transfusion, and he's being an ass about it. You know how it is. When you hear ass being kicked, all of you capable guys are to get up and go handle it. He's going to kill these people if he has a chance, so, _Sanji_! I don't care what you have going on, you go out there and smack the shit out of him if you have to. All of you have my permission!"

"Well, I'm sure it won't get that bad!" Vivi said with a nervous titter. "After all, he's hurt, what can he do?"

"Honey, _a lot_ ," Nami assured her dryly. "Trust me, I've traveled far too long with these idiots, I know how each and every one of them 'recovers'. Now, secondly, we're staying here until the noise upstairs dies. The Marines are looking for us. Thanks to Vivi and her crew, we were able to lose them. There's a mega bounty on all of us, the Marines still intend on sticking it to us. But! If you'd read the paper, you'll see that we made a huge impact!"

She rose from the table, slapping it with both hands, startling Kidd from his sleep.

"There are many people out there that are sympathetic to our cause. They respect us! _Eleven_ of us! There were eleven of us that night, standing together, against nearly 300 of them! I want you to run that through your heads, right now. We lost people we loved, yes, but it was eleven of us against three hundred of them. We weren't expecting that many! There's over two hundred and fifty bodies lying in that desert, and only five of ours – you might not see it from the point that I'm seeing, but you need to know this. Those few sacrifices were enough to gain respect and admiration from other groups around us!

"And those Marines know it! So they planned a public execution for each and every one of us in the case that we were caught," she added nicely.

"Does it look like I want to be executed?" Kidd growled from the table. " _NO_!"

" _Shut up_ , small town bank note stealing, small fry wannabe with bad taste in clothes!" Nami snarled at him. "When you have something intelligent to say, you will say it to me nicely, and I will take the time to even consider a damn answer."

Kidd looked aghast that she was speaking to him that way. But he was too weak and too hurt to muster up his usual attitude. He grumbled and looked away, but he did hear Law snort.

" _Shut up, asshole_! No lip from you today!" he shouted at him, hitting the table with both fists.

Ussop chuckled, shaking his head. "You guys…"

"On that note, we need to do everything in our power to stay out of their hands," Nami said. "That is the state of it."

"How's Luffy?" Sanji asked.

Nami's expression fell. "Not good. He's in a comatose state, right now. Nobody can reach him. Please, all of you – at least drop by and say something to him. I know it's hurting him that Ace is…that he's dead. That the others are, too. But you must remember, all of us walked into that town yesterday morning with goals in mind. While a couple of us, who will remain nameless, were certain that we'd fail, I'd like to point out that we didn't. You _must_ look at it that way. In the end, the Strawhats are more powerful than ever! The Marines don't stand a chance against us!"

"Until we're lined up and executed," Kidd mumbled.

"In the meantime, rest. Heal your stupid bodies. Don't make any efforts to fight, don't leave, and don't hurt each other. We need each other. We really do. We're all that's left, right now. All together, we can help each other heal."

Every one of them considered her words. Vivi, with a small smile, said, "Don't worry. We'll take care of you guys. Every one of us will be listening to see what's being said. You can count on us to continue giving you this safe haven."

Once she and Nami left the room, Kidd lifted his head. With a morose expression, he said, "That entire thing sucked. I'm never going to sleep, again. I've been in tough spots before, but never like that. Fuck you, you Strawhat bastards, I hate you all. You can just forget about an alliance."

Ussop snickered. "Trust me, none of us are going to lose any sleep over your loss. If you need it, maybe we should ask Vivi to find your crew and have you returned to them. But I promise you this, you'll miss us!"

"Hell with that," Kidd grumbled, straightening slightly. He still felt woozy, his skin seemed to ache, and his hair was even giving him trouble. He rested his face back against the table with a heavy sigh. "Hell with all you bastards. I hate you all."

Ussop pushed away from the table to take the boy from Sanji.

"We're going to go sleep with Luffy. I think it helps when he hears us, Sanji. Please go talk to him."

"I'll go with you," Sanji said, looking at Kidd, then Law, but the other man was staring at nothing. He left with the others without a second thought.

Once the trio left the room, Kidd twisted his head to look at the other man across the table. His intense amber eyes took in the other man with shrewd examination, then he made a 'hmfing' sound as he looked away.

"I can't believe you're part of that family," he grumbled. "Couldn't you have just said that in the first fucking place? If I had known back then, before this, you can bet your damn skinny ass that I would've taken you in for that bounty! That would've supported me and my crew for at least a year, without any of us having to rob anybody!"

Then he turned his head, muttering, "But I'm going to let it go. Just for now. For now, I'm too tired, and seeing people I actually hung out with on a good day die is just…fucked up. _I'm_ feeling fucked up. So, you're safe, for now. But one day, if you're still out and about, I'm going to collect, Trafalgar. I'm going to find you and turn you in, and get that creepy asshole to give me more money!"

"My crew and I have dreams, too, you know," Kidd added, lifting his head to glare at him. "While it ain't so simple as seeing the damn _ocean_ , we got needs and wants, too! It just takes a bunch of money – you know what? This is a helluva awesome thing, because my name is out there! My crew will find me, and, hey, if the Marines show up, they're game to throw down, too! Strawhat may think I don't like this, but goddamn, my name is out there! Hell, after that train incident, my bounty went up, too! My name will be more infamous than the Strawhats! I promise you that! I can't allow that kid to have all the notoriety, I've got to take this and run with it. But I vow this, I _will_ come out and find you and turn your ass in! But you know what, maybe I won't have to, because I'll be far richer, with more power, than that guy wanting you back alive!"

Kidd straightened up in his chair, laughing. He then grew light headed, so he slumped in his chair for a few moments, Law watching him silently.

The big man struggled out of his chair, saying sluggishly, "Sleep with one eye open. I haven't made up my mind, yet."

Law watched him leave, amused that he didn't even have to say a word.

: :

Sanji ran his fingers through Luffy's hair. The teen looked so different when he was sleeping. Almost fragile, vulnerable, not the strong male that led them through adventure after adventure, determined to get to the west coast. The wide bed allowed all three males to lay there comfortably, and Ussop and Tony had relaxed into a position where they could sleep soundly. Sanji sat at the edge of it and watched them sleep, and felt heavy because things had changed.

Sitting and waiting would just have to do, for now. He bent down and kissed Luffy's forehead, with a soft murmur for him to rest up. Then he left the room and went looking for Zoro. There was a group of men sitting at a table within the center of the cavern, immersed in conversation and coffee, and they all stopped talking to watch him walk by. Uncomfortable with the number and the feeling of being watched, Sanji didn't give them a second look, and just hastened his step with a curse given at how easily his fears controlled him.

He found Zoro sleeping shirtless with his hands and feet restrained against the metal hand rails of the bed, snoring heavily. With a shake of his head, Sanji ventured towards him, looking down at the bandages he was wrapped in. Most of the stitches were in his side area, his arms, and while his old wounds were on display, the newest ones weren't going to leave a mark. He'd seen Zoro collapse from overtraining and fighting for long periods of time, but never seen his swords dull as they did, nor had ever seen the intensity Zoro had for reaching Luffy. It had been startling to see such a powerful man nearly defeated. Sanji had been scared witless, just knowing that he'd look back and find him dead in the dirt.

But looking at him now made him grateful. Despite all their fights and troubles and differences, he couldn't picture a life without having Zoro with him. He'd grown close to the man. They motivated each other, pushed each other. They said and did awful things to each other, but Sanji could count on Zoro watching his back no matter what. He liked to think that Zoro thought the same way with him.

He leaned against the bed, propping his chin upon one palm, and poked the man's cheek, muttering, "Stubborn brute. Shit head. Ass ape. Fart Tard. Toad sucker. Grass muncher. Toe licker – "

" _Shut up_."

"Ah, did I wake you?" Sanji asked innocently, withdrawing his finger and watching as Zoro discovered his restrained hands and feet. He growled, pulled and yanked violently before Sanji kissed his forehead, saying, "Calm yourself. Let's pretend we're civilized men, and not zoo animals."

"As soon as I get out of here, I'll drop your guts on the floor, you womanly piece of shit," Zoro vowed, looking at him fiercely. "Keep your fucking lips off me! Scum! Trash! Whore! Harlot!"

Sanji gave a mock pout. "Since when have you started complaining of my lips? Maybe I haven't been able to do you so much, lately, but I assure you, you're the only one who lets me practice on you."

"I will slice those things off your face if you continue with your fucking lies."

Sanji grabbed his hair, leaning over and licking the length of his cheek and causing the man to snarl wildly with rage. Zoro struggled once more, cursing when he couldn't get free. Then he grew dizzy, paling considerably, relaxing all his limbs as Sanji looked at the bag hanging over Zoro's head. He hadn't even seen it until now, and he wondered what it was, poking at it while Zoro exhaled heavily.

"Where is everyone?" he asked Sanji, his voice hoarse. Sanji reached over for the cup of water, and helped Zoro drink it. He sputtered and coughed, and Sanji wiped away the excess. "That's not booze."

"I don't think your body needs that right now, moron."

"You don't know what my body needs. Shut up. Give me more."

"Oh? How can I deny that request, given to me so suggestively?"

"Of _water_ , idiot!"

Sanji gave him the rest of the water, and then refilled the cup with the pitcher that had come with it. Once Zoro had his fill, he seemed a bit more manageable. Sanji set the cup aside and answered his earlier question. "Luffy is still out. Tony and Ussop are with him. Kidd's in the same state as you are, and I haven't seen Shachi yet."

"This is safe place?"

"It is." Sanji filled him in on the newspaper, and while Zoro had worn the same expression Law had, full of disgust and anger, he exhaled heavily, saying, "It's what Luffy wanted."

"It is," Sanji said again, agreeing. He fiddled with the restraints on one wrist. "But at the cost of his brother, and of the others. All of us almost fell that day. I guess we ourselves just had to see what the limit was, and we found it. I'm wondering what he'll think when he wakes up. If he'll be the same, or we'll end up abandoning what we were looking for because of it."

"As much of an idiot as he is, this won't pull him down. Not everyone accepts defeat as easily as you do. He'll be the same," Zoro said with confidence.

Sanji flicked his nose. "If you're that confident, then, I'm going to ride your back with it. And if you're wrong, I won't hesitate to remind you of this moment."

Zoro looked at him with disgust, lip curled. Sanji was neat and clean – like he always was – and he was wearing some of the miners' clothing, so while it wasn't his fitting style, the man still looked fashionably attractive. Even the spit lingering on his cheek smelled clean. "It's unfair that _you_ are still standing, while the men are broken. Goes without saying, who did the most work."

"My shins and knees are sore, but that's about it."

"I should help you. Bring you down to our level. C'mere. Give me a kiss." Zoro puckered his lips and made kissing noises up at him.

"No way," Sanji said with a chuckle. "Besides, I think that settles it. _I'm_ the strongest. I did the most work. And you're… _this_."

" _Hell with you_!" Zoro snarled, struggling once more.

Sanji then leaned over him with a wide grin that made Zoro freeze. "Oh. Look at this. You're tied down. Helpless. _Vulnerable_."

He gave him a sultry stare for a few moments, then moved to kiss him. Zoro twisted his head from side to side to avoid that contact before trying to bite him, Sanji jerking his head back with a laugh.

"You fucker, you better not! I'll _scream_ \- !"

"And risk everyone discovering us? You wouldn't. Just let me. I see the way you look at me. You already know how I feel about you. Let me demonstrate my appreciation…"

" _There is none of that_! I'll _kill_ you if you fucking touch me!" Zoro snarled, trying to bite him as Sanji cupped his face between both hands and started lowering his face to his.

"I've kissed everybody, so far, except for you. You get more of my affection, because I know you like repressing yourself from enjoying me like you used to." Somehow, Sanji licked his lips before Zoro's teeth could touch him, and the swordsman purpled with rage. "Shh, now. I'm here. I'm with you. I'm all yours, just you and me, in this room. You are my gallant Romeo to my tragic Juliet. We'll kill ourselves with our passion for each other - "

"Fuck it. HELP! Someone! I'm bleeding! I'm dying!"

Sanji laughed uproariously, releasing him. Zoro struggled against his bonds, snarling curses at him as a doctor and his assistant hurried in with an anxious look.

"One of these days, fucker, I'm going to kill you, and Luffy isn't going to be there to stop me!" Zoro yelled after him. Then he turned his attention to the man, who looked at him anxiously, too afraid to get near him, his assistant looking just as frightened. "Release me! Get this shit off me! I'm going to _kill_ him!"

"We'll have to sedate you, again, if you continue this. We don't want you to hurt yourself," he was told, causing him to growl and thrash violently against his restraints. Then he paused, dizzy, the man looking after Sanji with irritation. Sanji walked off with a wave. If he could whistle, he could have. It felt nice getting back at the man after all the abuse he'd put up from him at the hotel.

He went looking for Shachi, and found the man talking to some of the miners, getting a general lay out of the land from a hand drawn map. Sanji exchanged a few words with him, then hugged him from behind, because he knew Shachi was only trying to stay busy, to keep his mind off his friend. He kissed his temple, earning startled looks from the men that watched uncomfortably. Shachi only pulled his head away and gave a light chuckle, blushing out of embarrassment as Sanji then left him. The men sitting at the table where he'd last past them were still watching him, some of them with stunned expressions after seeing what he'd done with Shachi.

He found Law in the same spot he'd left him – the dining room. Kidd had left already, and there was no chance in Hell Sanji would track _him_ down to check on him. Sanji stood behind Law, wrapping one arm around his good shoulder, the other curling loosely over his neck. He kissed him as well, then nuzzled his jaw. He'd nagged him into taking a bath as well, and though Law had made a face as he caught whiff of the soap they were all using, Sanji could smell it on him. The dingy shirt he wore hung loosely on his shoulders, exposing just a glimpse of his chest tattoos, and Sanji couldn't help but drop a hand to run his fingers lightly over the lines, tracing what he could see from his angle.

"Talk to me. I haven't heard a word from you."

When Law pulled away from him, Sanji leaned in, cupping his face, and kissed him on the chin, on the jaw, trying to get the other man to say something.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, looking into his eyes, hovering just over his mouth. Law said nothing to him, but he did get up from the chair, intending on leaving the room. Sanji looked after him with confusion, but he followed after him. He was aware that those same men that had watched him earlier were watching him again. So he waited until they were a distance from them and kept his voice low. "I know this is difficult, the whole situation, but talk to me. Even if it's just a complaint – we can't hold it in like this."

Law shook his head and waved him off, wanting to be alone, but Sanji followed after him with a stubborn set of his jaw. "No. Not you. I'm afraid you'll disappear, again, like you did before. I don't want you to wander off! I don't want to lose you. So, talk to me. Even if it's just a single word, a yes or no, just…don't…leave."

For a few moments, Law said nothing. But he glared at Sanji, then turned and faced him fully. His hands went to his pockets, but Sanji had seen that they'd made fists, first. After waiting for a few moments, Law gave up and continued walking off, and Sanji trailed after him. Once they reached the room they'd used to sleep in, Law sat on the bench with a pissed off expression, and Sanji quickly joined him, sprawling the length of it.

"Then don't talk," he said, resting his head upon his thigh as Law crossed his arms tightly and glared at the darkness away from them. Sanji exhaled slowly. "I feel alot of things, right now. A lot of shock and horror. Like it doesn't feel real. Seeing all my friends in the dirt, not moving, it was just…and then just knowing we were _that close_ to dying ourselves…I can't believe it happened. And I am just…I keep thinking about how Luffy wanted to storm the compound, and I was just thinking – would we have had a better chance there?

"But, we'd be picked off like dogs. I can't imagine how Brook and Zoro had gotten as far as they had before they had to retreat. Can you picture that? Brook always had fast hands." He trailed off, thinking that they weren't fast enough of he'd been gunned down in front of Tony. He reached up, to touch Law's goatee and then his throat, searching for some sort of warmth from the other man.

But it was as if he'd completely shut down, and nothing anybody did could reach him. Sanji looked up at him with frustration, but he had to be grateful that at least he was here, that Law responded to him at all – but he wanted to know what he was thinking. He wished the man could just talk to him, the way he did in the hotel. Sanji had noticed that Law spoke more to him than he did to the others, often responding with rude or blunt answers and only showing a surface of his thoughts and feelings, but when he spoke to Sanji, Sanji heard it all.

He appreciated it. It made him feel capable of being someone another person could trust, and it made him feel good to know that another person trusted him. Even more amazing, was that this person could look beyond his surfaces and try so hard for him. He wanted to give back so badly, but his own insecurities and fears held him back, only letting him take very small steps that only seemed to backpedal at his own urging.

Sanji reached into his pants pocket and withdrew Nami's book. "I will read to you, then. I warn you, Nami likes these things graphic. So if you feel any sort of way, don't be afraid to let me know. We can act some of them out. Okay? Now, chapter one…"

He started reading, hearing the rustle of activity in the cavern away from them. When his voice started to give out, and his eyelids grew heavy, he settled the book atop of his chest and looked up at Law to see him napping in that position. He reached up and around his own head to curl an arm over Law's front, clutching his shirt. Satisfied, Sanji closed his eyes as well.

When he woke, he realized he was the only one in the room. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he slept, and he sluggishly slid off the bench, rubbing his eyes. He looked around the room, then wandered outside. There were lamps lit in various shelves of the walls, and people were eating in the dining room, the smell of food making his stomach growl. He then started looking for Law, going to all the places he'd thought he'd find him. The area used as a restroom, the bathing area, the dining room, the kids' room, even Zoro's and Kidd's rooms. When he realized he couldn't find Law, he went looking for Shachi, trying to ignore the slow rise of panic building in his throat.

"I haven't seen him since he left with you!" Shachi exclaimed, dropping his plate and running off. "Damn it! I turned my back because I thought you'd be with him!"

"We were sleeping!" Sanji protested, growing anxious. Shachi went to place to place, then started asking miners they passed by, describing the man. But they either hadn't seen him at all to know his description or even noticed him leaving. Only the doctor's assistant spoke up from the room they were keeping Zoro, saying he'd seen a man in a white coat walking up the stairway to the surface a couple of hours ago.

Both Shachi and Sanji looked at him with horror. All that hit Sanji at that moment was being alone and exposed, and he was suddenly aware of how many men were looking at them. Most wore expressions with consternation and dismay at being discovered by Marines, not with what he imagined. But he felt discomfort in not having his back covered, with Zoro tied down, and Luffy comatose. Brook wasn't there to watch over him, either, and he couldn't count on the others – suddenly he felt vulnerable and targeted, and anxiety hit him fiercely, rendering his thinking into a panic. Sanji turned away from them and ran for the stairway, much to the horror of the miners, who chased after him.

"You idiot! There's still Marines in the area! If they see you, you'll expose us!" one of them yelled. "They'll know who you are, right away!"

Two haggard faced men coming from the surface blocked Sanji's ascent, and his face twisted with anger. He launched at them with a kick, much to the horror of Shachi, who ran up the stairs with a horrified cry to try and stop it. But Sanji's legs were weak, still sore, and his foot didn't land where he wanted it, to. He missed and stumbled, having to take a step down to catch himself. The two men lunged down to defend themselves, and all of them were tumbling down the stairway, the others running over hastily to try and control the situation.

"Oh, _shit_ ," Nami said with tired action, as Sanji started kicking at all the moving bodies around him, obviously losing control of himself as more miners shot forward just to help save their falling friends. The sheer number of the group, combined with the fact that Sanji was deathly afraid of men overwhelming him kept the man kicking and moving. The darkness of the cavern didn't help any, and she knew there was no way her voice could reach him at this point. She'd seen enough of his fits to know where it needed to go. "Ussop!"

"Sanji, don't kill me!" Ussop begged, withdrawing his slingshot and picking up a rock. Vivi gasped as she reached Nami's side, watching with horror as one man started taking out most of her friends.

"Why's that guy freaking out?" Kidd asked from the table, scooping up some chicken. He didn't even bother to get up. "Honestly, all of you are just a bunch of thugs."

Ussop released the pull, and Nami watched with relief as the shot was true. Sanji collapsed over a couple of men he'd just kick down, and a few of them backed off, dragging their fallen friends from the pile he created from the fight.

"What's going on out there? Let me go!" she heard Zoro bellow from his confines. " _Let me the fuck go_!"

"Ugh, these guys - !" she said with impatience, looking at Vivi. "It's always the same! The same shit, over and over again! Ussop! What was he doing, anyway?"

"I think he was looking for Law," Ussop said with a wince. "I saw him looking around, earlier, but once I realized I didn't see that guy for awhile, I think that's what caused it."

"He better not be turning himself in!" Kidd yelled, hitting the table. "I need that money!"

"That's enough from you!" Nami snapped. "If anybody's turning in _anybody_ for money, it's _me_ turning _you_ in just to have you shut up!"

"You're lucky I can see your tits, 'cause that's the only thing that's holding me back."

"You ugly asshole. I wouldn't touch you even if you _had_ money. Our hair would clash!"

"Is that all it is? _Fuck_."

"Why would he attack us?" Vivi asked with a fretting expression, as one taller man tossed the unconscious man over his shoulder, and Ussop hurried out to direct him to follow him.

"Put him with Zoro! Luffy can't fight back if that idiot wakes up!" Nami directed, before she looked at Vivi. "It's complicated. They're all brain damaged."

"'Fight back'?" Vivi questioned. "But isn't he tied down? He can't defend himself!"

"Zoro can take a lot of damage, he'll be fine."

"For a guy that size, he's got a lot of aggression. Maybe he should take up knitting," Kidd said, finishing his plate and looking for seconds. Nami rolled her eyes skyward and walked after the others, Vivi veering off and running to check on the injured.

Once Nami reached the room where the man was lowering Sanji next to Zoro, she pushed Ussop and Shachi aside and looked down at the restrained man with a gruff sound.

"He's all yours, for now," she said.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do, tied up like this? Put him on the floor! Not next to me!" Zoro snarled at her, and Nami examined his wrists and ankles with a shake of her head, noting that his skin was marled with marks caused by the restraints.

"Can't you loosen them, just a little?" she asked.

"The doctor is afraid of him. He keeps saying he'll kill him," the assistant said patiently.

"Zoro! Stop frightening these people! They're trying to help you! And you're the only one he sleeps with, he won't hurt you so bad when he wakes up!"

"Get that other guy to do this shit!"

"We don't know where he went!"

"Fucking asshole!"

Nami slapped his forehead. "Calm down! All of you! All of you are so stupid – honestly, why am I doing this? Sir, thank you, you've been a big help. I'm so sorry, I will do whatever I can to make up for this. You've all been so helpful and amazing, and my friends are stupid. Come! Let's open one of the alcohol barrels I brought the other day, and drink up! I bet none of you can outdrink me!"

The men were cheered after that, Ussop sighing heavily as he followed after her. Zoro snarled, jerking about in the restraints, Shachi looking at him with fear before he quickly hurried after the others. Zoro turned his head to glare at the unconscious man next to him, and tried to bite him, but Sanji's face was out of reach. So he jerked and pulled at his arm restraints before giving up with a frustrated sound.

: :

Nami looked up when she heard rustle of movement at the doorway. Shachi came into the room with a look of distress, and she set her ink pen down with a curious expression. Before her were two days' worth of newspapers, and she had been writing down escape plans. Luffy was still out, Zoro was still being restrained, and all of them were getting restless. While the cave had plenty of room to offer them all their wants, she knew all of them were getting stir crazy. She herself was growing more and more irritated with being unable to see the sky, with having to deal with the guys' moods and soothing the miners' hurts with promises of payment and the supplies she'd delivered days before she met with her friends.

But when Shachi came into the dining room with a troubled expression and a hasty retreat to the coldest section of the underground safe place, she was curious.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Uh, well…he came back," she heard the other man said, things clattering to the ground as he did something beyond her eye sight. "Law. He came back."

She intended on going to have some words with that man. None of Vivi's men could find him when his boot prints cut off near the canyon, where the river had swept away most of the roads. Shachi had reassured them that he'd be back, that it was common for him to take off, but even he had been anxious when two days passed by and he still hadn't shown up. Sanji himself had been angry about it, and Nami had watched him pace and watch all the men coming and going. His agitation had made many of them nervous, and while Nami understood why, the man's fears controlling his every action, she wish he'd just calm down and take in their company without feeling so afraid about it.

It just made Zoro's actions even worse – that man might claim all he wanted that he wanted to kill or maim or whatever to Sanji, but when he knew the man was getting restless, Zoro was always there to give him some distraction. But because he kept injuring himself, he was still confined to the bed. The doctor had assured them that the stitches would be removed soon, but he wanted a sure promise in that Zoro wasn't going to kill him as soon as he was released.

"Where did that bastard go, anyway?" Nami demanded. "I'll talk to him."

"He didn't even say. But…but Sanji wasn't alone, he, uh, I guess he found company, and - I don't know, I wasn't even paying attention, but it didn't end very well."

" _Ugh_!" Nami said impatiently, clutching her hair with both hands. She hadn't even noticed Sanji looking at any of the miners in particular, but she had to admit, her mind was occupied with other matters. "Of course Sanji would! Does Law get insanely jealous?"

"I, uh, don't know." Shachi came out from the room with a pitcher of ice and a sheepish expression. "I don't. But I know he has a horrible temper. Or, he used to. He still might."

"Should I release Zoro?" Nami asked tentatively. "I can finally see Sanji's face, again. I'd hate for it to be stomped in."

"Oh, no, this is for Sanji. Law, uh, he…uh, was going to let it go, but I guess, well, I don't know. He went to go check on him. But Sanji needs ice. That's all he said, was that he wanted ice."

"Oh." Nami's face twisted with confusion. " _Oh_. I didn't even hear anything! I've heard nobody moving around for hours, since they all went to bed."

"Yeah. Well, they were beyond the hot springs. I guess, _not_ to be heard. A group of them."

"A 'group'?" Nami repeated, rising from her chair with a startled look. "What do you mean, a _group_?"

"There were, like, four guys back there. With Sanji."

"Go get Zoro. Forget the ice. _Go get Zoro_."

"There's no need for that guy. Trust me. I'm just getting the ice for Sanji. He said he was thirsty. Oh, do you know where the shovels are?"

Nami turned away from him, and then hurried into the cavern. The only source of light was the one lit near the pool, and its flame cast just enough light for her to find her way to the springs. That place was too dark, and she wondered how anything could've been heard or seen with how the springs bubbled, and the darkness seemed never ending. But she knew the trail to the hot springs, and she started walking it, reaching out with one hand to touch the wall. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she did see the faint flame, then. Heart thudding noisily against her chest, Nami started tiptoeing, afraid of what she'd see but then wanting to check on her friend. Panic started to build the closer she grew to the hot springs, and when she came into the wide, spacious cavern, the smell of sulphur making her eyes sting, she saw the lamp just ahead. Shachi was there next to her, and he pulled her back before she could even see what those lumps on the ground were.

"It's not pretty," he told her. "Go back. He's in Crocus' office. I'll take care of the mess, but you need to tell Vivi what happened."

She nodded and returned the way she came. She'd just emerged into the cave with the springs when she bumped hard into a body that was moving back towards the hot springs.

"Get him to clean up," Law told her, and he walked on, leaving Nami to catch her breath with how cold his voice was.

Nami hurried to Crocus' office, and found Sanji sitting there, head in his arms, knees to his chest. Visually, he looked fine, but she did note the remains of a rope around one ankle. She hastily unknotted it and threw it away from them. She sat next to him with a soft greeting, cautious hand to his shoulder. "You okay?"

" _Don't touch me_."

She removed her hand from him hastily, then leaned in front of him, palms on the ground. "Are you hurt? Let me have a doctor look at you, Sanji. Let him help you. I'll go get Crocus."

"No. I'm not hurt."

"I didn't know this was happening! Sanji, please, look at me. _Look at me_."

Wiping his face, Sanji lifted his head. His hair was matted in front, and she could only guess from what. But from his jawline down, he was covered in blood. Even his clothes were soaked in it. But she reached in and coaxed him to look at her with her soft touch, his eyes barely focused, obviously in a state of shock.

"There was only supposed to be one," he confessed tightly. "Just one. But then the others were there, too. Nothing big happened. They threatened to use you and Tony. I went along with it. I couldn't think. I didn't know what to do."

"Let's take a bath, okay?"

"Oh? Together? That'd make me happy. Why don't I help get you off, too? I seem to be on a roll, tonight."

Nami slapped him, the sound ringing out in the room. "Knock it off. That's inappropriate, talking to your friend like that. Get your damn head back on. How could you even wander off with one of these guys?"

Sanji covered his cheek with one hand, looking downcast. "I know. I just…I couldn't sleep. I just…I don't know what I was thinking."

"Then get up. Let's go clean you off. I have to go talk to Vivi about this. We might have to move because of it."

"I'm so sorry, Nami. I know I fucked it up. I'm sorry, I just…I couldn't sleep, I couldn't be alone, and – if he didn't come back, I would've never said anything!"

" _Shh_ ," she whispered, pulling him to her as his voice shook and his face twisted. She hugged him tightly, running her fingers through his matted hair, smelling all the foul smells on him and feeling her eyes tear up. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

But Nami wasn't sure how to answer that.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** **I finished this chapter and realized that nothing more can come out of it. I realize I left a lot of ties undone…but that's for another story, because it's a whole new arc. I just really wanted to write about the battle itself. This story wasn't even supposed to last as long as it did. But then I kept adding more people and BOOM ran away with it. I told you I sucked at commitment. I run away from things like that a lot. :D I'm just glad i have a somewhat good ending, and not the ending I intended.**

 ***Non con* warning, body parts being tossed about.**

 **THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT READ THIS! PLEASE LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH THE REVIEW BOX. :D I have an epilogue coming up soon.**

 **Part Seventeen**

The small notebook had been a record of dates, transactions and future meet-up dates with Doffy. It also included a list of names that Law didn't understand, along with some locations throughout the west that were detailed only by the controlled territories' base leaders. There were other numbers as well, but he didn't know what they meant. He just knew that this small notebook was something Rosinante would find useful. He closed the book and then looked out over the landscape. The hot night air was broken with a gentle breeze that brought to him the smells of burning bodies and brush. To the left was a massive wildfire that ate up the horizon, building over the mountains. From the direction of the wind, they were safe. It was on the other side of the canyon, where the ghost town had been.

He watched the orange glow blaze as it crawled from one ridge to the other, filling the night sky with black smoke. Coyotes called to each other in the distance, and the Skypiea river rushed noisily nearby. He thought about the images that would never go away, and slipped the notebook into his jeans pocket. The clothing he wore was uncomfortably loose and flowy, and he felt disgusted at wearing another man's clothes. But Vergo's jacket was still strong and capable, and while he detested the man, it had been very handy. Without his hat, his head felt naked.

He stared down at his boots for some time, finding some peace in the desert that he couldn't find in the cave. While rest was good after a hard fought battle, the walls had been too confining, and the stares of the miners were too distrustful. Every time he'd looked up, they were looking at the lot of them with unease. He found himself hating the way they looked at Sanji and Nami. While it was only a small few that looked, he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Sanji flaunted himself as he normally did, and while Law had told him he wouldn't react, he couldn't help but feel jealous and bitter when he'd seen the way Sanji had treated Zoro. It wasn't the interaction with Nami that bothered him, because Law had heard him treat the ladies at the bar in the same way, but it was that closeness with Zoro that made him uncomfortable, unsure of what to even do with jealousy.

It was going to be a difficult run, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy. And he still questioned whether or not he was capable of being with another human being. But the more he thought about it, the more he saw the images of the battle, and he knew he couldn't turn away, now. He'd practically gave the man his life – why would he take it back after all that?

Rosinante hadn't given up on him. Not after everything.

So Law had told himself he wasn't going to give up, not even if he distrusted his own judgment. But he needed space away from that cave. He needed to get out, to breathe, and to find another place to put his knife before he used it on those miners' faces for looking at Sanji that way.

He grumbled and rose from the rocks he'd been sitting on. He was gone for too long, and he knew it, and he hated himself for being the way he was, but it was either carnage of his own causing or a place to think and gather his thoughts together. He'd walked all the way to a foot bridge far down the canyon that led to the train tracks that would take him to the ghost town, and he'd gotten close enough to sneak a peek.

The marines had gathered all the bodies of their fallen, arranged them in rows, and had been identifying them. All the dead animals were burned in a single pile, and the ruins of the ghost town were just blackened strips of destruction that would eventually be buried by the desert wind. The wildfire caused by it had spread away from them, giving them space to work, and while the fire spread from ridge to ridge, another had started from the flames of the horses' bodies.

Law had watched with some sadness, thinking of Bepo, thinking of the ones that had fallen, and had left to make his way back to the cave. Eventually, he'd made his way within view of the mining shacks and had sat the rest of the afternoon there, watching as those people lived their lives near their panning stations, making runs to a town in the east that allowed them full wagons of supplies.

He guessed they didn't have long to linger, here, not if those people were bringing such loads to a place that looked to house only a few people. He'd remembered the notebook he'd taken from Vergo, and had lost himself the rest of the evening to trying to figure it out. By the time night had fallen, the summer sun had finally disappeared, but he knew the hour was late. He gave himself some time to put himself back together, and he knew he could be a functional person again.

He made his way back to the camp, and by the time he did, there was only one person in the shack with the doorway, and he sputtered a scolding that Law waved away. Once inside the stairway, he noticed that there weren't too many lights on. The shelves of rooms were occupied, and there were snores echoing off the walls. He went to Crocus' office and found the bedding laid out, but no Sanji. He went in search of the man, but the teens and Tony were fast asleep – the boy looking so much better than when Law left – and Nami was writing something in the dining room. She didn't even look up, but she had some newspapers in front of her and her ink pot was nearly empty.

He was amused to find Kidd sleeping in a sprawl in one of the rooms, and Zoro was still restrained, but at least his legs were free. Just his arms were tied to the bed, and he looked a lot healthier than he did days ago. It still bothered Law that Sanji could treat the man the way he saw him do. Zoro didn't seem to respond positively to any of Sanji's actions, but that possessive attitude of his might only be because of their supposed closeness. If Zoro had actually accepted Sanji's advances, it'd be different. He supposed he would just have to let it go.

Sanji was just Sanji, and Law wasn't expecting anybody to change for someone like himself. He just hoped the man was just as accepting of him, too. He touched the healing bitemark on his lip, but smiled because, at the end of the day, Sanji was trailing after him and making him feel like he was capable of something other than what he was intended, for.

By the time Law finished looking around the cavern's main floor, he suspected Sanji had found another bed buddy in one of the miners, and while it left him feeling bothered, he told himself it was his own fault. He went to the room with the springs to see if the man could possibly be taking a bath – he was always so clean – but when that didn't pan out, he went to the hot springs because he hadn't even looked at that place, yet, and he figured he could soak his aching feet there. The boots he wore wasn't meant to be walked in such long distances, and he couldn't wait to take them off.

When he saw the doctor's assistant shoving his dick into Sanji's mouth while another one pulled down his pants, two others watching with interest, red settled over his vision, and a rushing noise crowded over any thought he had. He saw the rope around his feet and the ones that kept his hands behind him, and the way Sanji sat there when the man came on his face had Law pulling out his knife. The man behind him pushed him to the ground then, and none of them noticed Law coming into the room until it was too late. He pulled the assistant's head back and cut clear to the spine, shoving him away as the man preparing to shove his dick into Sanji's ass made a chuckling noise at the mess the other man had left behind.

Then Law stabbed that man through the temple and yanked him away, stabbing him a few more times because it didn't make the satisfactory noises he wanted. By the time the other two realized that he was killing them, they tried to bolt. Law grabbed the oil lamp and flung it at one, who immediately veered for the hot springs to put it out. He reached out and caught the jacket of the other man, and stabbed him several times in the back before he forced the blade into the back of his head. It wasn't satisfying enough, so used both hands to catch the knife, and ram the man's skull repeatedly onto some rocks until enough splatter spilled over the dirt and pulp covered his hands. At this time, the other guy was tossing himself into the hot springs just to escape the oil lit flames on his clothing, but it was too hot, so he looked back with a fearful expression and made to scream.

Law stabbed his knife into the center of his forehead, pulled it out, then grabbed handfuls of his hair, and held his head under the hot water. But he waited until the kicking and struggling stopped, and eventually the red faded from his vision. He exhaled slowly, making sure none of the rage was there. He left the man in the hot springs and wiped the blade clean, then went to Sanji. He said nothing to the other man – just cut the ropes and pulled up his pants. He then used Vergo's jacket sleeve to wipe the dirtied mess from Sanji's face. If he scrubbed hard enough, he could get it off his skin, but once he realized he was scrubbing too hard, he pulled away with a jerk.

Sanji looked at him blankly, shaking, but he said nothing, either. He had a hard time standing as Law helped him to his feet, his legs giving out a couple of times, but eventually he stepped with him as Law started walking. His chest felt tight and hot and his eyes burned because he blamed himself for this. All he saw was Sanji clinging to him and not wanting him to go, and Law knew he had been afraid, but all he had thought about was his own mental anguishes, so for this, he blamed himself for everything. He couldn't figure out whether to be furious or defeated, and both feelings were equally as dangerous.

He took Sanji to Crocus' office and walked out, intending on getting soap and fresh clothes for the other man when Shachi hurried over to him with a light scolding.

"Where've you been? We weren't supposed to go anywhere! Do you need a damn leash? I can't believe you!" Shachi demanded.

"Go get some ice. For Sanji. He's thirsty," was all Law said, and it was the first time he'd even said anything since the fight.

Shachi fretted visibly, pacing with nervous action around him as he walked. "You didn't get mad and beat him up, did you? I know he was with that guy, but you weren't here. You know how he is. Please don't say you killed him, or anything…"

"No. Just them. I need a shovel. He needs ice. Now."

" _Them_? I only saw him walk off with one!"

Sputtering, Shachi did turn and hurry away, and Law went for the room Nami had been sleeping in. He found what he was looking for, scattering her things around, but once he had soap and hair shampoo, he went and found some towels and extra clothing that was packed in a nearby storage room he'd seen Vivi pack freshly laundered clothes in. By that time, Shachi had found his shovel and was lugging it into the water room, and Law made sure Nami went to take care of Sanji.

Shachi was pulling the bodies with whimpering noises to the center of the room, looking entirely distressed. "I hate cleaning up your messes, man," he confessed with a whine.

Law watched him for a few moments, then picked up a body himself, heading for the hot springs. Shachi dropped his guy and went after him, yanking the body from him. "NO! That's even more disgusting! Their flesh and insides will boil right up and this place will stink for years! Just let me do it! Look at this guy's face! The skin is falling right off – why can't you kill people like a normal person?"

"Maybe it's best that they don't look like themselves when they're returned to their families. Scum. _Pigs_. All of them."

Shachi was actually a little scared at the expression on the other man's face. The Strawhats often mentioned how scary Zoro looked when he was pissed, but they clearly hadn't seen this man's face. Then he watched as Law went to one man, yanked down his pants and severed his genitals clear from his body, tossing the items into the hot springs. Because whatever happened had left the man obviously unhinged, Shachi took a few careful steps away and let him do so.

When it seemed like Law was somewhat satisfied, Shachi resumed piling the bodies.

"How many times have you been picking up after me?" Law then asked curiously, leaning on the shovel without helping him.

"Since you carved that one dude up for trying to steal your horse two summers ago."

"I don't remember that."

"Of course you wouldn't! I became a vegetarian strictly after that."

Law had to chuckle because Shachi said it so piteously. Then he heard voices in the cavern that told him Nami had convinced Sanji to the springs to wash off.

"Um. Is he…is he okay?"

"No."

Shachi looked guilty, but he had his hand out for the shovel and he grabbed the first body, pulling it behind him with a mutter towards the very back of the cave. He left that to him, walking back to the springs as Nami looked at him with a start. Sanji was washing himself, but he wasn't entirely there.

"I'll stay. Tell that woman what happened. And if anybody complains, I'll talk to them personally," he said, as Nami pushed up from the rocks and hurried away. Law looked over at Sanji, then gave him a towel as he stood up. He was moving slowly, painfully, and he looked at Law with such a disgusted expression that Law ended up looking away.

"Your voice works, I see. It didn't back then. I thought we'd lost it, too." Sanji took a few minutes to put on fresh clothes, then sat with some trouble, exhaling heavily. He leaned against the rock wall with his forehead against the inside of his arm, and made a snapping sound with his finger and thumb. "See how easily I can replace you? _Just like that_."

Law bit back the response he wanted to make. But he leaned down to help him back to his feet. He was surprised when Sanji punched him, then pushed him away.

" _Don't fucking touch me_."

Then he wobbled out of the room, and Law nursed his jaw for a moment before he followed after him. Sanji tripped, then fell with a muffled sound of distress. Law went to help him, and this time he held on tight when Sanji punched him again, then again, then he made to bite but gave up with another sound. Law picked him up from the ground and held him tight, wishing he could do more. He ran his fingers through his hair, hugged him tightly, with enough force to hear Sanji give an involuntary whoosh of breath, and the noise that came from him sounded alien to himself. But he couldn't stop the heavy sob that left him, feeling completely useless and incapable of doing right by another human being, and the situation that happened was all his fault, and he didn't know how to fix it, because it wasn't something he could fix with all the medical instruments in the world.

Startled out of his numbed shock, hearing the older man cry, Sanji felt uncomfortable. He didn't know how to take another man's emotions like this – he thought he was the only one that did all the crying in the group, besides Tony. For someone to express this much emotion over him was shocking. He didn't know what to do or say or even accept it. But Law held him so tightly that it was almost as if Sanji were going to fall apart, and he really had to wonder which one of them was the more fragile of the two.

His arms were heavy, but he brought them up and held Law just as tightly, closing his eyes for a few brief moments, feeling the wetness against the side of his head.

"Shh," he whispered quietly, patting his back. "It's okay."

"I'll fix you," Law promised brokenly. " _I'll fix you_."

Sanji wondered how that was even possible. But he murmured a few words of comfort of his own. Law held him tightly, refusing to let go, even as they heard the sound of women's voices growing louder with agitation. Lamps were being lit as everyone was startled awake by the noise. Law took a deep breath to compose himself. It took a few moments, and Sanji reached between them to wipe his face. He wanted to kiss him, but he felt much too dirty to do so.

Once Law had himself in order, he looked like he were moments from killing everybody. He turned away from Sanji, hand still on him, and Sanji clung to his coat, forehead on the back of his shoulders, trying to keep his own composure from breaking because he truly wanted to just hide away from it all, but he didn't want to do it alone. Vivi was running over with a shocked expression, and Crocus was hurrying over with a stern frown, as well as another man with an oil lamp.

"I'm so sorry! _I'm so sorry_!" Vivi apologized, falling into a deep bow in front of them. "What did you do with the bodies? We'll take care of them!"

" _What happened_?" Crocus demanded.

"David and his friends attacked Sanji. They're dead, now. We'll go bury them, somewhere," Vivi said, straightening up from the ground with an anxious expression over Law's shoulder, then shying away because the man looked like he was going to kill her.

"Where've you been? Sneaking out of here – you were told to stay put!" Crocus snapped at him. "You're going to give us away!"

Law didn't like the way the man addressed him. He was already close to snapping, again. "I didn't see anybody out there with a Marine uniform, old man."

Crocus immediately stiffened up with the tone used, and hissed, "Don't leave your fucking whores behind to cause trouble, next time!"

Vivi squeaked, reddening as she whirled to face the old man. "Crocus! Stop! Please! That was uncalled for!"

"It was _obvious_ he's a fucking whore, clinging to you that way! Prancing around in front of the other men the way he was! He got what he was asking for!"

Law shoved Vivi out of the way, much to the startled faces of the other miners as he walked up to Crocus. Shachi was suddenly there with a wild yell, clinging to his arm. Once the other miners saw the knife, they were suddenly moving forward with agitation and Crocus looked at him in surprise, not expecting to be attacked.

"Oh my god! Oh my god, settle down!" Nami demanded, picking Vivi up. "All of you!"

All around them were murmurs of curiosity, demands to know what was happening, and she breathed heavily, shifting around her friend to help Shachi because the man was obviously straining to hold Law back. Sanji scooted away from the scene, but he didn't go anywhere because there were more men gathering, and he suddenly lost the last shred of coherent thought he had as they came forward to investigate the action. Immense fear and defeat gripped him, and he just stood there, staring blankly at the crowd, still clinging awkwardly to Law's jacket like a lost child.

Crocus decided he was safe with the numbers building behind him. He looked back at Law, snarling, "We should turn you in. Get all that money they're asking for. None of you Donquixote bastards should have any sympathy! All of you are murderers and cowards. You carved up my nephew years ago, and I'll never forget the sight of him in that bag they sent us! I thought God would allow me forgiveness, but it hasn't. It hasn't been a hundred years, yet!"

"Oh? Your nephew? Refresh my memory, there's been too many of them to remember," Law snapped, stepping forward and jerking his arm from Shachi and Nami's grasp.

" _Ussop_!" Nami shouted, over the rising din of the other miners'. "Zoro! Kidd!"

"He deserved it, anyway!" Law continued, reaching for him, grabbing a hold of his shirt while the other miners crowded in, pushing Vivi away as she struggled to maintain peace. Suddenly all of them were shouting, demanding answers as to what was happening, and while Vivi was trying to explain, the confrontation was exploding.

"All of them did! You think they were all _saints_ over there? He was probably one of the worst ones!"

"He was only a messenger! He needed the extra money to support his family! And you _murdered_ him for that bastard, Doflamingo, and you laughed about it!"

"I laughed about every one of them, old man! _All of them_!"

"Bastards like you don't deserve a chance for forgiveness!" Crocus roared, lunging at him. His friends held him back while Shachi and Nami struggled to hold the arm that held the knife down. Meanwhile, the voices behind Crocus were growing louder as everyone struggled to understand what was happening.

"You carved him up like he was a fucking animal!" Crocus continued to scream, straining to be released. "He wasn't even human by the time he was sent home to us! You murderer!"

" _None of them were to me_!" Law shouted back at him. "If I had to go back and do it again, I'd gladly do it! All of them were pigs! _All of them_!"

"Nami, we need to get out of here," Shachi begged her, straining to pull Law back and losing the battle. "Go get the others! Hurry up!"

Nami moved to run, but there was a miner shoving her, causing her to scream with surprise. Sanji snapped out of his mental state, and went to assist, shoving the miner back. But the mob was growing larger as the others hastily left their rooms to investigate, their agitation rising as Crocus continued to scream at Law. Once word spread of what happened to Sanji, denials and shouts of him deserving it began to ring out as well.

"USSOP!" Nami screamed over the din. " _ZORO_!"

The crowd surged in to them, and Shachi let go because there were men with knives, pickaxes and K-Tools, and they were too close to the wall to escape. He was the first to punch out, catching a man upside the jaw, and once that space was cleared, he kicked and threw an elbow into two more. Once his arm was free, Law slashed at the old man, but Crocus had enough speed in him to jerk back. As Law lunged forward to attack again, a heavy set miner jumped on him. Nami screamed as a couple of men grabbed her, intending on dragging her away from the scene, Vivi screaming hysterically for everyone to calm down.

Sanji lunged forward and kicked the man holding onto Nami, his heel stomping in the man's entire face. Once the others saw what happened to their friend, they immediately backed off, astounded that one single kick from such a thin man could happen. Sanji pushed Nami behind him, sweating profusely, struggling to remain standing, even as it hurt to move. He eventually dropped to one knee, Nami gasping as she pulled him back from the reach of the others.

Crocus reset himself, snatched a pickaxe from one of the others, and swung with one arm and a roar. Everyone ducked and scrambled out of the way as Law narrowly avoided being pierced by the thing. As soon as the tool left his space, he lunged outward with his knife, catching the old man with a sharp cut deep into his inner elbow. The pickaxe was flung into the crowd with its earlier momentum as the muscle snapped up into his bicep, and he howled briefly before lunging with his other hand, stabbing Law in the chest with a pocket knife of his own.

Shachi tackled Crocus at that point, Law stumbling back and hitting the wall with a surprised noise. He looked down at the knife sticking out of his chest with a shocked expression. He'd been too angry to even see the man with it. But he'd relied on Vergo's jacket to take on any impact, and to see the knife there was jarring.

He jerked it out with a derisive snort, tossing it aside. The jacket had taken up most of the impact, and though it stung, it didn't do the damage the old man was aiming for. He twisted his own knife in his hand, blade down.

"Stupid fuck. You want to stab someone, you angle the blade correctly, so it's not bouncing off the ribs!" he snarled, kicking Shachi out of the way and grabbing Crocus by the neck. "I'll show you how it's done!"

" _Stop_!" Vivi cried, throwing herself in front of the old man, hands out to stop the incoming blade. "Stop! All of you! Back away! Everyone!"

"Why are we throwing our lives away for these people?" someone cried.

Someone lunged over Vivi and Crocus, and stabbed a K-Tool into Law's leg. With a strangled noise, he stepped back, punching the man as the tool fell away. The jacket had taken most of the impact, but the jarring sting in his thigh was felt. Another miner threw himself forward, and then another jumped over him, until all three of them were falling over Nami and Sanji, Nami shrieking. The crowd began to surge towards them at that point, Vivi screaming at the top of her lungs.

Sanji managed to pull Nami behind him, but there were fists coming from all directions, and he couldn't get enough space to kick, or even try to, his ass stinging so badly, but the mob was looking for blood, and he couldn't even see where Law was. He managed to turn his head and caught sight of the other man being dragged away from them, Crocus at the head, demanding an execution. Beyond them, they were setting up a noose over an outcropping, intending on hanging him.

Sanji shouted helplessly, unable to abandon Nami as other miners set themselves on them, trying to separate them. Someone landed a hard kick to his gut, and as he ducked forward in pain, Nami was pulled from him. Screaming, she struggled, and Sanji was held against the wall, Shachi trying to fight off the mob dragging Law away.

The chaos was so little compared to the Marine fight, but in such an enclosed area, every sound rang off the walls. One of the men holding Sanji back began kicking him, calling him a liar and every other name in the book, and even as Sanji covered his head and looked over to where the mob was with Law, he could see Crocus tightening the rope around his neck. There were others that were holding the man wrapping his wrists with more rope, and Sanji became hysterical. Crocus pulled away from Law and then the man was being hoisted up from the ground.

" _Mother fuckers_!" came the enraged scream as one lithe body flung himself through the air. Bodies flew away from Nami, and Luffy switched direction to the men on Sanji. Men twice his size were thrown, kicked and punched, tossed in various directions. When Nami and Sanji were able to move out of range of danger, Luffy raced after the men surrounding Law. Vivi returned to Nami with hysterical tears, watching as Kidd and Zoro, with his swords, began charging at the miners. Most of them began fleeing, dropping their tools and begging for mercy, obviously not wanting to die.

" _STOP_!" she screamed, as Zoro moved to start slashing, Kidd picking up a pickaxe with a chuckle. "Everyone! Please!"

Luffy jerked Crocus away from Law and punched the man into the dirt. With a short heave, Zoro cut the rope that held the man, and miners ran from the man swinging the pickaxe. Law caught himself from hitting the ground face first, coughing and struggling for a huge breath as the rope relaxed around his neck.

" _What the fuck are you doing_?" Luffy exclaimed furiously, holding Crocus with both hands. "What the fuck are you doing to my friends?"

"Getting rid of the vermin! The only place that allows his kind here, is Hell!"

"You don't get to judge any of us for that God! _Any of you_!" Luffy howled, his voice echoing throughout the cavern. Everyone quieted at that point, all of them catching their breath, the mob separating from each other and moving away from the men with weapons in their hands. Luffy threw Crocus into the ground again, heaving with breath. "What happened, here? Nami?"

" _Luffy_ \- !" she cried, feeling all her tears fall as she looked over at the teen that looked as if he'd been wide awake for days.

"Get this goddamn rope off me!" Law snarled, and Luffy looked at him, then again, realizing that the man had a few knives sticking out of him, a K-Tool lodged in one leg. Shachi raced over and helped, and the murderous expression on Luffy's face turned darker as he took in the faces of the miners that looked at him fearfully.

Then he looked over as Law descended on Crocus with one of the knives that Shachi had pulled out of him, the older man looking at him with his own anger, accepting his incoming death. Luffy quickly caught the hands of Law and was surprised at the strength behind it, the furious expression on his face as he struggled to stab the man.

Zoro looked at Luffy, waiting for a signal, but Luffy shook his head at him.

"Law. Listen to me," he said firmly, quite aware that Law was beyond reasoning. "Do you have good reason to kill this man?"

"Everyone I kill I had a good reason for!" Law snapped at him, looking rather demonic at that moment.

"Defending his whore, that used up prostitute of a man, probably the only good thing in his life after all he's done! You deserve that blasphemy, _both_ of you, you demon!" Crocus snarled, intending on agitating the situation just to have it over with. "None of you Donquixote people deserve happiness! God will strike both of you inhuman filths to the ground for your indecencies! There is no place on earth for murderers and whores!"

"Did you just call my friend a whore?" Luffy asked. "Say it to me, old man. Say what you _just_ said to _me_."

"I _said_ \- !"

Luffy let Law's hands go, and then turned away as the man fell onto Crocus. Even Zoro turned away as Luffy let Law allow his anger to speak for him. Kidd turned and stumbled away, the other miners reacting with shock and revulsion. Vivi cried, Nami holding her as Sanji turned away with shame.

Luffy looked at every one of the miners with a frown, turning away from the scene. "Normally, I don't let this happen. While I'm grateful for all of you for helping us," he paused, then took to his knees in a very deep bow, then stood again, " _Thank you_. You were very kind to us. You took us in when you didn't have to. But I don't appreciate any of your actions, right now. Whatever happened to set this off maybe could have been resolved differently, but I don't like it when people talk shit about my crew. Whatever happened in their pasts to have them angry, or confused, or lashing out the way they do, should never be brought up to be used against them. And if this is what started this entire shit, I'm really angry at the lot of you. All of us worked really hard to escape all that pain in our lives to survive this long, and for any of you to think that some _God_ has reason to judge us for what we're running from, you're dead wrong. If any of you has anything else to say, anything shitty about any of my crew, here, then come up here and say it to my face. I'll judge you before any God can."

He took a few steps in, and then looked at the ones closest to him. Zoro had enough of the mutilation, so he kicked Law away from Crocus and took the knife from him.

"So…what happened, here?"

No one wanted to speak. All of the miners looked away, and all that what was heard was Law's heavy breathing as he rose away from the ground, covered in blood.

Luffy looked a man that studiously avoided his expression. He leaned down. "What. _Happened_?"

"It doesn't matter," Sanji finally said, rising up from the ground with trouble, leaning against the wall for support. "Luffy. Let's get our things. It's been resolved. Let's go."

"Are you sure?"

" _Yes_. It's over with."

"Okay. Let's get our things," Luffy decided, hands on his hips. "Meanwhile, we'll pay you back for our mess. Nami?"

"We have more than enough," she assured him, rising on shaking legs. "I'll make sure to pay for their supplies. But you get what you get."

"Good enough. I hate to say it, but I'm starving," Luffy then said. "Is there anything to eat?"

" _Some_ \- ! We have some, " Vivi managed to say, traumatized by everything that had just happened.

Luffy had a happy expression on his face as he went looking for food, Nami following after him. Kidd looked dizzy in the corner, hand over his white stomach; Zoro looked annoyed that he'd had no action whatsoever. Sanji stumbled over to where Law was, and he reached out to pull the man to him, hugging him tightly, despite the blood bath he'd taken. The miners all looked at these people with horror, trying not to catch any of their attention.

: :

Luffy gave an exasperated look at the mining shacks that they were leaving behind. Every one of his crew looked grumpy, upset and exhausted, and while he didn't get the full story, he had seen enough. He still had a lot to sort out. He knew he had a lot to catch up on. The covered wagon was filled with their things, with some bedding to make the travel easier, and big men with frowns. Nami was driving the thing, with Shachi snoring next to her, and Luffy himself was seated on the seat behind them with his hands on his chin, elbows on his knees. He knew that on one side of the wagon, Law and Sanji were on a horse, and on the other side was Ussop, clumsily holding the reins of his horse and trying to look as if he'd ridden one for ages.

"I was really sleeping for that long?" he asked Nami again. "I missed out on a lot!"

"Yes, you did," Nami said, squinting ahead of them. "I'm glad there's enough moonlight for us to be traveling like this. It was a shit storm in there. I'm so relieved we're outside, through. I had enough of that damn cave!"

She looked up at him. "Where are we going, then?"

"Town. Something with beds. Something nice. Something with a lot of food. And we're going to have fun," he decided. "We're going to celebrate the lives of our friends, and not be sad about them being gone. All of us knew what we were getting into, that day. We can't step back and feel all these things, because then their deaths were in vain."

"Are you fucking serious?" Law asked him.

"I'm _way_ fucking serious. If Ace knew I was sad, he'd come back and kick my ass! And you saw how many times he did when he was alive!" Luffy looked up at the stars, knowing he couldn't count them all. "So, instead of feeling sad, I'm going to push ahead, and all you guys, too. Don't look back. _That_ adventure is over with. There's another one for us. We'll make the ocean, yet."

"We don't need to go back east, because I'm cured," Tony said to him, still awake.

"That's right! We're going to ocean!" Luffy said with a happy 'whoop' to the desert around them. "Unless anybody else has any other requests?"

"I'm ready for my vacation!" Nami said. "I'm tired of this desert. I want the ocean!"

"I want to go swimming!" Tony cried.

"Quiet down, people are trying to sleep," Zoro complained.

"You've been sleeping all this time!" Nami yelled back at him, snapping the reins of the horses so they trotted faster, the action causing all of them to jolt. Shachi snorted himself awake, catching himself before he could fall. She slowed the horses down. "Anyway, if that's what you decide, captain, we'll run with it."

"That's what I've decided. Look ahead, people! Our past might be behind us, but that's where it's going to stay. All right?"

"Nothing about the damn Marines that will be looking for us?" Law asked him, his arm curled tightly around Sanji's back. The man was asleep against him, having taken something to help him do so before they left the caves. He'd cried quietly for awhile, and fell asleep with his arms around his waist and his head against his chest, legs over one side. Law was going to feel the ache in his back in the morning, but he was determined to be what Sanji needed him to be at that time.

"Ah, we'll just beat them up when they show up," Luffy said with a careless wave. "No big deal. So we got a little more famous – "

" _Infamous_ ," Ussop corrected, gasping as his horse stumbled over a snake hole, but righted itself quickly.

"- it don't mean that much. We made our impression on those guys, and if Nami's right –"

"Which I am!"

" – then I have no problems, at all. The Marines are scared of us. And right now, we're stronger people, now. Don't you agree?" Luffy asked.

Law didn't know what to say to that, unable to imagine taking a situation as big as that one had been so lightly. He grumbled, but was too tired to make an issue out of it.

"You're like a fairy tale prince holding a princess like that, man," Kidd said from the back side of the wagon, snickering. "So _romantic_."

Luffy laughed as Law tried kicking him. "It's a new beginning, everyone! When tomorrow comes, it'll bring us a new adventure! And when we get there, we're going to kick its ass, and continue to make our names bigger! Law, Kidd, welcome to the crew!"

"I'm not part of your crew! I think I'm being held hostage!" Kidd hung out from the back of the wagon, making a mopey face towards the east. "I want my own crew. At least I felt like a leader. I felt _wanted_. Liked."

"Nobody likes you," Law agreed with him.

" _Shut up_!"

"Traffy? I saw your handsome pic out there with ours, would you like to make a request?" Luffy asked him curiously. "You're part of us, now. Because if you think you can run away with Sanji, I'm going to hunt you down and punch you in the balls."

"Just get my name right. _Ass_."

"You don't want to set out and save Rosinante?"

"Rosinante will figure out what to do. If you're intending on ignoring the bigger picture, then there's nothing I can do. I'm just here."

"Liar. There's nothing you do that's out of the pure kindness of your heart, because you don't have one," Kidd said. "You're up to something. I can tell."

"Well, that settles it, then," Luffy said with a huge sigh. "This is my crew."

" _Minus one_!"

"It's a go for more adventure! We'll get to the west coast, yet!" Luffy said with a delighted laugh. Then he looked at Nami. "You think we can go get our train? I worked really hard on that."

"Veto'd!"

"You hear that? Whatever Luffy says, goes," Law heard Sanji said against his chest. The man's voice was thick and drugged, so he didn't expect to make any eye contact with him at the moment. "So you're stuck with me. Are you sure you want this mess? You still have time to leave."

"I've already made up my mind. You're mine, now. After all that."

"Dumb ass. You'll regret it."

"I haven't so far." As Luffy's voice rang out over the darkness, coyotes yapping in the distance, he leaned his head down, nuzzling the other man's forehead before pressing a kiss between those unusual eyebrows of his. "I'm going to keep fighting for you until you stop running from it."

"And what then? When I finally stop?"

"I'll keep on doing it. You're worth it."

Sanji still felt dirty, sick to the stomach, utterly disgusting – he'd never feel clean. But the man holding him treated him like he was none of what Sanji felt for himself, and he could feel that. He felt the kiss on his forehead, but couldn't make himself return it. Not with what had been done with him. He pressed his face against his chest, feeling secure enough to go back to sleep.

" _Ew_ ," Kidd said, sneering at them. "Someone trade me spots!"

Luffy laughed. He was fairly positive that the days ahead of them would hold more adventure. It was just getting there that mattered. Everything else would resolve itself then.


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The newspaper was lowered to the table, and there was a clink of porcelain upon porcelain as tea was sipped. Then promptly spat out.

"How many times are you going to do this?" Baby 5 asked impatiently around her cigarette. She stood next to the table in her prettiest maroon dress, the tray bounced against one thigh. "All my life I gave you hot shit, and you still manage to burn what's left of your damn tongue!"

"Let him alone, Baby," Doflamingo said with a wide smile, looking at his brother. He sat across from him with his own newspaper, leg folded atop of the other, his breakfast half finished. But the large bottle of wine across from it was nearly empty, and his glass half full. "I'm sure it was just the headline that caught his eye. Look at this, Rosinante. He's made quite a name for himself, hasn't he?"

He tapped a fingernail on Law's stoic picture, where the headline read of the latest Marine attempt to find the Strawhats after the massacre they'd left behind – after bodies were gathered and identified, the area 'cleaned up', the search for the bandits was on. All Western territories would be carefully 'monitored' until all the Strawhats and their accomplices could be picked up and publicly executed. Every one of their pictures were stacked across the bottom of the article, as well as information where the public could reach out for help if any of them were seen.

In a small article underneath it, there was mention of a small massacre of some miners that had been found living underground – Roronoa Zoro's picture was aligned with that one, the Marines accusing the swordsman of singlehandedly killing nearly thirty people. Since there wasn't any proof that he was there in the first place, the declaration of a higher bounty was held off. Doffy wasn't too interested in that article.

He gestured for Baby 5 to pour the wine, and she did, with much eye rolling and dramatic flair.

"I'm unsure of what to feel," he said, swishing the liquid around in the glass. "On one hand, I'm relieved that he is still alive. I was very upset to learn that none of my agents could not find him, all these years, yet I had thought he'd retreat to something closer to civilization, not some isolated desert landscape where there is absolutely nothing. Yet again, I thought a rival had managed to snatch off with him during one of his dramatic fits back to the house after work. You know the story."

"I don't miss him. At all," Baby said. She exhaled smoke in Doffy's direction. "Hopefully he dies out there. Little shit."

Doffy waved the smoke away with an absent gesture. "But he's alive. I would like a chance to speak with him, to be honest. I want to know why he'd never come back. After all we did for him." Doffy drank of the wine until it was nearly empty. Then he set the glass down, signaling for a refill.

"Why don't you just drink out of the bottle?" Baby mumbled, filling the glass.

"How could one abandon the family that raised him? We took him in, gave him a home, education, a life – and he repays us by disappearing. Playing cowboy in some dusty desert slop. I wonder what he looks like, now. This photo is old. Couldn't someone have submitted a more recent work?"

'I thought this one looked rather refined,' Rosinante signed with a pouty frown. 'I used this one for the matchmaker at that time.'

Doffy laughed. "'Matchmaker'? Did you want more kids, Rosi?"

"Why would he come back to this shit hole? Everyone hates it here," Baby grumbled. "And who'd marry him? He's such a freak! Nobody likes him. No self respecting woman would touch that crazy asshole. Rosinante, how could you even bother to try? Do you hate women?"

'Just you.'

As Baby sniffled, holding her cigarette aside to wipe sudden tears away, Doffy asked, "Rosi. Your thoughts on this article?"

Rosinante lit a cigarette. Baby grabbed his water glass and upended it over the man's head to put out the fire that raced up his sleeve. Rosinante signed his thoughts, and Doffy chuckled.

"' As long as he's happy', eh? Well, how are we to know if we don't ask? I'd think, with you spending all those years with him, you'd feel a little differently about it. Don't you miss him? You were quite attached."

Rosinante signed again, leaning down to tie his shoe. 'That's all I'd ever wanted from him.'

Baby 5 squinted at him. "I didn't catch that."

Doffy finished his wine, then indicated for more. "Well, I don't agree with you. _I'm_ curious. Now, are we ready? The funeral should be starting within the hour, and it'll take us thirty minutes to get there. Let us go mourn the loss of our family members, Vergo and Pica. We'll talk about Law, later. I'm sure we'll come up with something different once we're more clear headed. We might even plan a trip out there. I heard it's quite lovely, this time of year."

As both men stood from the table, one of the house servants hurried up to Rosinante, passing him a telegram. Doffy waited curiously. "News from the other side of the city? Were they successful?"

Rosinante lit a cigarette, exhaling from the side of his mouth. After he read the telegram, he showed Doffy the contents. His brother frowned at him, pushing his chair back into the table.

"Why didn't your tailor just send you the completed outfit?" he asked curiously.

Rosinante signed hastily, following him out from the dining room. 'I want to make sure it fits.'

"Your size hasn't changed in ages. Why now?"

After reading Rosinante's indignant signs, Doffy then scoffed. "You have not been 'working out'. Don't be silly."

Baby 5 rolled her eyes, following after the overly tall men that had to duck underneath the doorway just to walk out from the foyer of the mansion.

"After the funeral, we'll go out for some drinks." With an arm slung over his brother's shoulders, Doffy led the way to the coach waiting for them at the curb. "He's been feeling a little down, lately. Not in the mood for small chat. I'd hoped going out later would cheer him up."

Baby 5 opened the door before the driver could, who scrambled back up to his post. With another roll of her eyes, she said, "Nothing will make him happy, unless you bring that guy back."

"Well then. That settles it." Doffy waited for his brother to board first, before he did. He shut the door on Baby 5, who flipped him off.

Rosinante stared out the window on his side, thinking nothing that would give away the slight jump of panic he felt when Doffy relaxed into his seat and grinned widely. "I'm still curious as to what he's been doing, all this time. Why won't he come back? Doesn't he know we saved his job for him? Ungrateful brat. I'll just have to ask him once it looks like he's settled down, some. I don't blame him for all the fun he seems to be having with these Strawhats. It's a adventure right out of a book. No matter. Another time and place, eh?"

'It has nothing to do with us,' Rosinante signed.

"But it might, considering it was the Strawhats' doing that caused Vergo and Pica's deaths. Then again, it was that Admiral's fault in the first place for being so incompetent as to think he could hold a Strawhat at this time, especially while in talks with the others. Fool. What an idiot. We lost that one, little brother, but it's okay. We're still reaching outward. There's gold in them mountains! Heh heh."

'You're taking these deaths very calmly.'

"It's not to say I'm discounting the Strawhats' power. If they were able to defeat Vergo and Pica altogether, then I'm definitely taking notice. But as you said, it has nothing to do with me if they're getting lucky making some noise. Vergo and Pica were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ah. Look! Trebol beat us. Look at his dumb face. I wish they'd fix his leaking. Sit with him. These pants of mine are new. I don't want them soaking up his disgusting body fluids, again."

'I'll just end up burning him, anyway. Make sure the fire department knows I'm here,' Rosinante signed with a shrug. He returned his attention to the window, and tried not to think anything of the boy he'd raised. But he had to admit, Doffy had taken notice of the Strawhats, and now that Law was involved with them, his brother was definitely more interested than he admitted.

: :

In the dusty tavern, Shanks found the one he was looking for. It had taken some time, some travel, but after all his reflections and efforts, he'd finally caught up. He dropped the newspaper he'd been carrying onto the table so that he caught his attention.

Mihawk frowned at the aged paper that settled over the remnants of his lunch. He looked at Shanks for a few moments. "What does this mean to me?"

"Good afternoon to you, too," Shanks said with a grin, taking up a chair opposite him. "Took me awhile to find you. It's getting harder and harder to ask around in these isolated areas."

"Which is why I prefer it," Mihawk said impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest. "Again, I ask, what does this mean to me?"

"Look at it! Isn't that _exciting_?" Shanks asked, his tone lifting as he gestured at the headlines. "How _amazing_ is that? I was there, too! Yes, there were losses, but how cool was it that this tiny group of kids took out such a huge group of Marines? Using only a freaking fifty cal, a guy on a horse, and some only using their hands and feet, and _explosives_ provided to them by freaking Sheriff Smoker?"

"I see your childish awe in such things has not diminished at all, at your age. Having said that, I read this quite some time, ago. There was no need for you to go out of your way to find me for a recap. I chose this area for a reason, and that was to get away from that headache," Mihawk said, lifting his tea.

"Look, to be honest, when Luffy called me in to help, I didn't expect to come out for it. But I did. Maybe I had a deathwish of my own, maybe I was tired of roaming around. I expected to do a whole lot less, but when I saw them fighting to the very end, I ended up letting some information slip to the press regarding the Strawhats' victory. Maybe I gave them some other pretty words, maybe I was involved with making sure all the strings around them were nice and tight," Shanks said with a sigh, pushing aside the paper and picking at what remained on Mihawk's plate.

"After all, even if they were successful against the Marines, they're only a small obstacle in their quest to see the ocean," he added.

"All this trouble just to see _water_?" Mihawk asked, lowering his cup.

"And a bunch of other things. One wants to be the greatest swordsman on this continent, one wants to open a restaurant, one wants to be rich, another wants to live a full life! They're all a bunch of really cute kids, I'm sure you'll like them."

"I hate kids. I hate noise. I'm here for a reason. Now, leave me be. You're making this tea taste bad."

Shanks gave him an exasperated look. "At your age, are you really that ready to hang up that sword? How about doing something exciting, for once, and getting involved?"

"I'm sure the path behind me can show just how much I loved being 'involved'."

"Yeah, _ew_. Seriously. You just leave those people to rot in the hot sun, that's disgusting. Don't you miss your kid? Roronoa?"

"He's not my 'kid'. And, no, I trust that he's in good hands. From what I've seen, his swords speak well of him."

"C'mon, I've got a request to ask of you," Shanks then said, leaning on the table, trying to look into his face as Mihawk wore his hat low to obscure his unusual eyes. With impatience, those eyes focused on him and Shanks sat back down. "With the Marines on the look out for them, I'd ask that you cover their backs. As a favor. Just until a few affairs are settled with the territories."

"You want me involved? That's your damn request? Couldn't you have penned a letter?"

"This is why I'm asking – I'd met Luffy years ago, when he was just a squirt. For some reason, he was inspired by me," Shanks said, taking a moment to stroke his chin. Mihawk's flat stare showed no expression, so Shanks grumbled and reset himself. "But his goal is simple – he just wants to get to the West coast with his friends. Things just happen to fall into his lap along the way. One of the kids involved has a big family back East that actually have a hand in the Marines' territorial expansion plans. Big money, big medical experimentation, big power. If the territories are under the control of these two powers, what do you think will happen to people like us?"

"Absolutely nothing if certain people just keep their mouths shut and stop tracking people down to bother them with their nonsense."

"We'll be tracked down, too! There's already talks that Buggy went down, two weeks ago. They're finding all of the old crew and eliminating them so there's no bigger bug on the window than the Strawhats. That's how big their name is, old friend! They want none of us to assist! So therefore, I'm asking you, if you can join in with me. All I do is sell information to the press, cause a little scene here and there to give Luffy his respect, and maybe, just maybe, do a little shooting on the side to keep the scene going."

"I promised to fulfill a single favor, in exchange for you covering my back years ago. If this is the favor you want me to fill, then, fine. But I'll do it my own way."

"Really? Hah! Amazing!" Shanks exclaimed, rising from his chair with a laugh. "I'll leave you to it, then. We'll be in contact. Just…please. Promise me something."

"It's already been too much, already."

"Enjoy yourself. Live the rest of your life knowing you've done something you at least had fun doing."

With that, Shanks walked off with a whistle, and Mihawk frowned ever so slightly, looking at the newspaper once more. He had no idea why Shanks would even think that he hadn't enjoyed himself thus far, but he wasn't going to think about it, anymore. He finished his tea and rose from the table. There was much he had to do to fulfill his promise.

: :

Luffy groaned heavily, hanging over the rock with dramatic action. Their wagon had broken an axle, so Ussop and Shachi were fixing it, and both of them were hot and angry because they didn't have the right tools or parts. Zoro had gotten lost somewhere after saying he needed to find a restroom, so Law had taken the horses to go back and find him. Nami was fanning herself in just her bodice and underskirt, so Kidd was hitting on her, getting shot down every time, and Sanji had wandered off to a nearby creek with Tony because Tony wanted to go swimming. They'd run out of food because Luffy had been 'snacking' on had been nearly a day's worth of travel, but to Nami, they hadn't gone very far. They'd burned Penguin's body so Shachi could carry the ashes with him, and that night, they'd agreed to leave their mourning behind.

"This is so unfair! I'm so hungry! I hate it here! Someone, go hunting!"

"This is all your fault!' Nami growled at him, adjusting the temporary shade over her head. "If you hadn't eaten all the food - !"

"I didn't break the axle!"

"Does anybody know how to hunt?" Kidd asked, looking wondrous. "I know the guys in my group did. I didn't have to do anything but look awesome."

"Sanji said his family were trappers, maybe he does!" Luffy said with a wide-eyed expression.

"That guy comes from traders? Hah! That explains it!" Kidd said with a laugh.

"What does that mean?" Luffy asked curiously, looking over at him.

"Never mind, Luffy, he's just being an ass." Nami shielded her eyes and looked into the distance. "Once we're done, all we have to do is continue heading west. There's a town over there. We should be fine."

"Let's just start walking, then. We should get there by nightfall!"

"We don't leave anybody behind! How's it going over there, Ussop?"

"Not good," he said with a sigh, straightening from the wagon as Shachi fanned himself with an uncomfortable look. Both men were sweaty and uncomfortable, having removed their shirts, and Nami shook her head because both were getting hideously sunburned."I need parts. Walking to town will probably be better."

"That settles it. Luffy, go find Sanji and Tony. I'll write a note to let Zoro and Law know where we are," Nami said.

"You won't have to," Kidd said, pointing off in the distance. "There they are."

"You found him!" Luffy cried in delight, running from the rock he'd been sunning himself on, then paused short with a suspicious look. "You guys both look like you were fighting."

"Wind storm," Zoro grumbled, sliding off the horse with a stumble, momentarily bow legged.

Nami frowned at both men. Luffy was right. Law had pieces of tumbleweed in his wild black hair, and Zoro had dirt and pieces of sagebrush all over him. Both looked angry and obviously battered, and she rose from her temporary shade to inspect them closely. She reached out and snatched pieces of the desert from them as they studiously avoided looking at each other.

"Some 'windstorm'," she said.

"I was thrown off the horse," Zoro said tightly. "I grew pissed about it. We had some words. Before the wind storm."

"And _your_ excuse?"

"I kicked his ass for getting pissed at me," Law said.

"You didn't kick my ass! I kicked yours!"

"Ha ha! Okay, okay, truce, at least you're back, Zoro," Luffy said with a laugh, coming between them. "I'll go find the others. We're going to walk to town to find parts."

As he walked off, Nami reached out and grabbed Zoro by the ear and the reins to Law's horse, the animal stumbling as she pulled them close together. "Whatever this was about, you both drop it. Zoro, you ass, if Luffy hears that you went back to that cave after what you heard, he's not going to be happy. We don't _kill_ people! Sanji had asked that we drop it!"

"Then next time, _you_ tell me the truth!" Zoro snarled, kicking Law's horse, the animal leaping forward with a squeal, tossing the man while Nami jerked out of the way with a screech of her own, trying not to get trampled. "Hiding something like that from me - like I wouldn't find out? Fucking ridiculous!"

Law picked himself up from the ground with a snarl, and both men reached for their weapons. Nami rolled her eyes. "He'd asked that we not talk about it! And here you go, putting yourself in that position, slaughtering dumbfucks like they were chickens."

"You fucking didn't do it!"

"I only did the ones responsible _for_ it!"

"For a guy like you, you're a fucking pansy!"

"Not Vivi?" Ussop asked cautiously.

"She wasn't there," Zoro said, sheathing his sword as he heard Tony's voice. He glared at Law, who glared right back at him, putting his knife away. "Next time, do it right."

"You should put those feelings away. They're not needed out here," Law told him, walking away to retrieve the horse while Nami looked at Zoro with a shocked expression. Zoro's face purpled, veins pulsing.

"Zoro?" Nami said tentatively.

"Isn't that what friends do?" Zoro asked with exasperation. "They kill whomever wronged a friend?"

"That's so sweet," Nami said with a delighted grin. "That is the sweetest! That is the first time you've said anything about Sanji being your friend!"

"Is this another cultural wall thing that I am not getting?"

Sanji and Tony reached them at that moment, Luffy talking excitedly about their next course of plans. He and Tony headed for the wagon to see what Ussop and Shachi had been doing. Sanji removed the cigarette from his mouth and grinned wide at Zoro. "How do you get lost taking a shit? Honestly. Do we have to tie you to the wagon?"

Zoro snarled at him, then stomped off, Sanji looking after him with amusement. He followed after him to continue giving him shit, and only hurried off when Zoro threatened to cut him. Laughing, he then walked over to Law and started picking the weeds from his hair. Luffy and Tony raced over to see if they could get a quick ride on the animal with some supervision, haggling Law to help them.

"Ugh, you guys! _Honestly_! The testosterone here drives me insane! Straighten up, and don't let Sanji know what you did, because then Luffy will get pissed, and we do not want to see _that_ again," she growled low, heading to the wagon to retrieve some of her things. "Let's go! The town ahead will have what we need to cool off hot heads! I just hope it's ready for you."


End file.
